Grey Descent: Goblet of Fire - The Remake
by Belle P
Summary: Gia Aria Grey receives a letter from her deceased mother that shakes up everything she thought she knew about her life and her family. Forced to flee from the only home she'd ever known, Gia escapes one terror only to land in the middle of a brewing war. Can she keep her new friends alive long enough to face her demons? Or will she succumb to the darkness inside of her?
1. Family Ties

In… out… in… out…

I reminded myself to breathe – in through my nose, out through my mouth… slow deep breaths.

In… out… in… out…

_Pace yourself,_ I thought, allowing the frigid air to hit my lungs, at the same time pumping my legs faster and faster. Duck under the long-hanging twigs, side-step the thicker, gnarly snow-covered roots, spin past the spindly bush reaching out with their sharp needles, waiting to tear into exposed flesh. Leap over the ditches almost unseen in the darkness, swing from the icy branches overhead, catapulting into the sky with a hoot of glee and landing on the balls of my feet, pushing off again without a second's hesitation. I knew every root, rock, and entity in the thick wood that encompassed the estate on three sides, broken only by the double-wide driveway that connected our home to the main road about a quarter mile away.

**11:58.37**

Almost there.

Gritting my teeth, I allowed myself to relax into my run – to truly feel the Great Mother's earth beneath my feet, to sense every thread of life interconnected around me. Almost immediately, my senses sharpened and the darkness opened up to me in a way that I hadn't experienced in a long time. I flew faster through the trees, my hair whipping behind me like a trail of blood red ribbons waving in the wind. I felt an almost primal awareness begin to spread inside of me and suddenly, I sensed her.

She was huge – about the size of a fully grown riding horse. Her fur was sleek and shiny, jet black. She was a shadow, slipping through the trees even faster and more gracefully than I. Her glowing golden eyes were two daggers that tracked me past every tree trunk and around every bush. Her enormous teeth flashed under the moon's light as she bared them at me in a challenging grin.

**11:59.00**

I jumped, landing on a thick and springy root underfoot, using the momentum to shoot myself upwards towards the branch overhead. Grabbing hold with my gloved hands, I swung around the branch once and shot off into the air. There was a moment of pure weightlessness before I felt her get into position, and as I descended back to the earth, her powerful, muscled body received mine and we shot out of the tree-line and out into open space. I grabbed handfuls of her thick hair and leaned forward into her, allowing my body to ease into the fluid motion of hers as we bolted across the grounds, a blur underneath the moon's watchful eye and the great manor that rose up before us.

Keeping close to the tree-line that ran parallel to the back of the manor, we kissed the shadows and then Nova broke right, shooting towards the servants' partially hidden entrance at the back right corner of the house. As soon as we were within 20 feet of the house, I felt Nova's body shrink and found my own feet on the ground. As she shifted from a great, giant wolf into the form of a small black cat, we slinked into the house unnoticed and raced silently through the marble halls.

With hardly ten seconds to spare, I hit the corner and slid into the informal living room, where a fire roared and instantly chased away the ice in my body. Ripping my gloves off and dropping into my favorite armchair before the fire, I smiled at the small pile of gifts before me.

_Five…_

_Four…_

_Three…_

_Two…_

_One…_

At exactly midnight, I slid from the chair to my knees before the fire, grabbed the seven-pointed star pendant around my neck, and bowed my head to the flames in reverence as several things happened.

It was now the day of the winter solstice, a day of great power and energy observed by my people for centuries. It brought with it the longest night and is said that when the first Long Night occurred at the same time as a full blood moon, my people rose from the spirit of wolves. We are believed to be at our strongest on this day, and every year there are great festivals and rituals taking place all over the world to praise the Great Mother, and the Sun and Moon Goddesses. They say that great and terrible things can occur on a day like this – things that can never be explained or prevented, only experienced.

It was also my 14th birthday.

My father had been so fiercely proud that I had been born on the winter solstice, sure that it was a sign of the great power contained within me. He'd filled my head with such stories of greatness from birth that sometimes even I almost believed I could take on the world.

At 12:01 AM, a small envelope popped into existence above my head and dropped into my lap, a familiar neat handwriting adorned the front, addressing me in sparkling green ink. My stomach dropped. It was my mother's handwriting, I'd know it anywhere.

Even Nova, now a small black and white husky pup, whined and inched forward, sniffing the envelope and lowering her head in sadness. I reached down and patted her head, drawing comfort from her as much as I gave it.

_To my most beloved daughter, Gia…_

The only way this letter could've appeared would be if either she or father had set up a timer-spell on the letter to be delivered to me at that moment. I felt a small bit of dread creep into my stomach…how old was the letter? How early before her death had she written it?

My hands nearly trembled just holding the paper in my hands, knowing that my mother had, at some point, held this very same envelope after writing whatever it was that was inside. Knowing that I wouldn't even care about the gifts that father had left for me if I opened mother's letter first, I gingerly set it to the side for the moment and pulled the first package into my lap, Nova now bouncing around excitedly around me, her tail thumping the floor.

I was pretty impressed – my father had certainly gone all out this year, even though all of the gifts were for practical use. There were two advanced spellbooks on dark curses, a book on unconventional magical warfare, a book on training various wild animals in combat, and…a copy of the Wilde family grimoire.

"I didn't think he'd let me have this until my 17th birthday," I muttered, running my finger over the ancient skin and bone binding that had been used to create the grotesque thing. But it held the secrets and greatest strengths of my father's side of the family and I couldn't wait to truly tap into my potential. Setting it to the side, I also opened a new wand holster for my thigh, a whole set of custom-made daggers and two short-swords, a few pieces of truly beautiful fine jewelry, and…

My breath caught as I tore open the shapeless package. I could tell that it was some type of clothing and had assumed that father had commissioned another tailor-made dress for me, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Unfolding the garment, I realized that there were actually several pieces enclosed in the package. It seemed to be some type of battle-suit. Completely black, a thick but flexible and fluid material, body temperature moderated, made with countless places to conceal weapons and who knows what else. Knowing my father, it was probably spelled against extreme weather and temperature conditions, most common spells and mortal weapons like knives and bullets. It came with a set of calf-high boots, matching gloves, and a hood that could be turned into tight, sleek face mask if needed.

It was every protégée's dream.

I wasn't surprised at the quality of the suit or that my father had gone all out on it. After all, he'd been grooming and training me since birth to one day take his place as Head of the Guild, a small army of assassins and underground businesses under his control, which had been passed down through the Wilde family for generations, always changing and evolving with time.

I would have to think of something especially sweet to thank my father with when he returned from his current business overseas, but now I could finally turn to the birthday surprise that I truly cared about. With trembling fingers, I picked up the envelope and didn't hesitate to rip it open. My eyes simply washed over the entire page, soaking in her beautiful script, knowing that her skin had brushed across this surface as she found the words to leave with me on my birthday. Taking a deep breath and allowing Nova to curl up in my lap, I read:

_A mi bella princesa, Gia,_

_First, I must implore you to read this letter alone and to burn its contents when you are finished. You'll understand a little better in a moment, but for now, just trust your mama._

"What the…" I muttered, instantly confused.

_I write this letter as I look upon your sweet, sleeping face – so innocent and oblivious to the world despite the choices your father and I have made and the life we've built for you. The thought of losing you or being away from you brings me the greatest pain I have ever known, but if you are reading this letter, than my fears and the signs the Great Mother has sent to me were true._

_There are certain things that I simply couldn't risk putting in this letter for fear that it would fall into the wrong hands… your father's hands…_

"Father? I don't…understand…" I whispered, absently scratching behind Nova's ears.

…_but I have left information in places where, if you desire to know, you would have the means to access it. I was left in the dark for far too long and I cannot bear to think of what kind of life lies ahead for you if I do not tell you what I can now and at least give you the choices that I never had._

_First and foremost, I love you with all my heart and soul, and know that I never would've left you willingly. But there were things that weren't adding up and I refused to be lied to any further. I went digging into your father's businesses and learned more than I ever wanted to know, things that made my skin crawl to think about…things that terrified me. I don't know who your father is anymore, Gia. He is not the same kind, loving man that I knew when I met him. He has been tainted by something dark and evil, and I couldn't allow it to remain anywhere near you. I had to act on what I knew, but clearly, if things transpired as I suspect, I was in over my head._

_I knew that there was the risk of retaliation if your father was to find out about my knowledge and lack of trust in him, and if you're reading this, then my fears have come to pass. I can't tell you exactly what I learned but know that I did what I could to give you every protection against this great evil that your father has brought into our lives. You must know the truth, Gia, as much as it may hurt and pain you as it did to me. You're an intelligent and extremely powerful girl with the full might of magic and the Sun and Moon Goddesses inside of you. I know that you'll make the right choices._

_I know that there are far darker and greater depths that your father has sunken to by the time you read this letter, and I wanted to wait until you were old enough and independent enough to understand. I implore you to heed my warning. I know that you love your father, as I once did, but if there comes a time when you feel as though the estates is no longer safe or truly a home to you, you have the options and means to get away. Your father has done things that will bring down the wrath of the Gods upon us and I pray that you do not allow him to destroy you along with him. If you decide to stay, know that I will always love you and be proud of you. But if you decide to leave and seek out the truth, know that you'll find much more than information on the other side. One day, you will understand why we did the things we did, my love, and I pray that you forgive us for being human._

_If you wish to know more, just follow your heart – it's the perfect compass to lead you back home._

_I love you more than all the stars in all the skies in all the universes, Gia._

_Happy birthday,_

_Your loving Mama._

There it was… in my mother's own words – the lever that brought my entire world out from under me. Though she hadn't explicitly stated it, I was smart enough to read between the lines.

"But…father…he would nev –" I stopped, shaking my head at my own foolishness. My father commanded an army that killed people on a daily basis with no trace and no remorse. He was capable of anything. "But having my mother…his wife… killed? What could she have found out that was so horrifying?"

Nova whined and pawed at the floor as I reread the letter twice, three times… over and over again, but no matter how many times the words slammed into me, they still made no sense.

"He – he wouldn't do that…" I growled quietly, clenching the letter in my fist.

_Wouldn't he… if it meant keeping his secrets and his power?_ That treacherous voice at the back of my head whispered.

"This isn't happening…not today!" I moaned, gripping my hair in my hands. But even as I denied the words aloud, my heart said differently. My head was a maelstrom of confused thoughts and enraged emotions, and when I could no longer stand the sickening silence of the dark living room, I jumped from the couch with Nova right on my heels.

Running on silent feet, I bolted through the dimly lit marble hallways and up the stairs toward the imposing, dark double doors that led to my father's bedroom suite. Rapping my fist sharply against the hard wood, I could hardly think with my heart pounding so ferociously in my ears. I banged on the door twice more.

"Dammit, I forgot he's away," I cursed, pausing with my hand still poised to knock again. I hesitated for only a second before spinning on my feet and taking off down the stairs again. Desperation, fear, and anger coursed through my blood like venom – nothing made sense anymore. I felt bad for Nova – as my familiar, she was intimately connected with my magic and emotions and I knew that she could sense everything that I was feeling in the moment.

Hidden behind the rather grand double-staircase was my father's private study, a place where only those that were invited could enter. A place where I had been well-versed in the family businesses and the responsibilities that would one day be expected of me.

Consequences be damned, I pushed open the door, unsurprised that it was physically unlocked. My father commanded such fear and respect that I doubt he thinks anyone would be brave enough…or stupid enough to go into his private study unwarranted.

I almost expected to see him seated behind the large, mahogany desk in that high-backed chair before the window, a stack of papers on the desk before him. But the room was as empty as the rest of the manor.

Nova brushed past my legs and entered the room first, sniffing around before she gave me the okay to enter. I didn't know whether to laugh at my father's arrogance or worry that this had all been too easy. I had never attempted to forcefully enter his study uninvited for fear of whatever magical protections he may have placed on it. But nothing happened as I pushed open the door a bit wider and stepped fully inside, though I stopped dead when I realized that something was so very wrong with this picture.

My father, who prided himself on image and organization, had left his study in disarray: the drawers of his desk were clumsily closed, there were papers and parchments strewn all over the place, stacks of folders were spread out along the top of his desk. "Whatever he left for must've been important," I whispered, "if he left his office like this. He must've left in a hurry."

As my bare feet sank into the thick carpeted floor, I briefly considered backing out of the room and returning to my own room to await my father's return, but my curiosity won out and I quietly closed the door behind me and walked over to his desk. I began straightening up his papers and folders, already composing the conversation that my father and I dearly needed to have upon his arrival.

It was as I restacked what looked like old reports from the Guild bookkeeping records that something caught my attention. It was two names that I was more than familiar with – they belonged to my grandparents, who had passed away a few years back, just before my mother. What chilled my blood to the core, however, was the fact that their names were printed on the reports that were filed after my father's men completed a job.

"It's not like that…it's not," I whispered, even as I reached to tug the reports out from under the rest. But there it was – the intimate and gruesome details about the murder of my paternal grandparents. It was enough to make me physically sick and it took everything to refrain from emptying my guts onto the expensive carpet.

I had never understood why my father had insisted on an empty casket if they'd died peacefully…until now.

My mother's written words came crashing down upon me all over again, and soon the cold anger and grief rose with it, wrapping around me and dragging me into its depths. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks and I dropped into the armchair behind the desk, my face in my hands as harsh sobs racked my body. Nova, affected by my emotions, curled up in a ball at my feet and whined.

I wanted to snap.

I wanted to howl with anger and rage and destroy everything in that office.

But I could hardly move.

Biting my knuckles until they nearly bled, I forced back the tears and hysteria. I couldn't lose it like this right now. Resting my elbows on my knees, I dropped my head and took deep breaths.

In and out... in and out… in, out…

Soon, I felt cold as ice, and just as hard, as if all of my emotions had condensed and froze over. Slowly but surely, I regained control over myself and narrowed my eyes in contemplation.

"What kind of information could my mother possibly have found out…that would make her own husband order her murder?" I asked no one in particular. "What kind of man has his own people kill his parents?" And then the worst question creeped its way into my thoughts.

Was I next?

I paused…

And then I was everywhere at once, ransacking every drawer in the desk, every file cabinet, and even all of the secret stashes and hiding spots my father didn't even know that I knew existed – I found nothing. Frustration mounting, as a last resort, I sat back at my father's desk and ran my fingertips underneath it where my father usually kept his spare gun. Just as I thought, I found the gun and put it on top of the desk, and ran my fingers along the underside of the desk again, but even then I found nothing.

I was past hurt and simple anger – I was positively fuming. Looking around the office in a red haze, thoughts of vengeance and spite racing through my head, I grabbed a blank piece of paper and snatched a pen off the desk. Of all the hateful words and yes, even the pained accusations that I wanted to write down on that paper, I simply couldn't encapsulate everything I wanted to say. Instead, I wrote:

_**I know everything**_

That was it – just those three words.

Standing up, I wiped the wetness from my face in cold disgust. I kept the report on my grandparents – I knew that a similar document probably existed for my mother but I hadn't found it during my search. I put the note on the desk and knew it wouldn't be missed; I placed the gun beside it. I had no use for it.

Scooping Nova's small form into my arms, I left the study, kicking the door shut behind me and paused.

What was I going to do?

Hurrying back to the informal living room, I looked down at the pile of discarded wrapping paper and quickly-forgotten presents from my father. I wanted to throw it all in the fire but a small sort of flame flickered to life inside of me. My father had given me the very tools I needed to confront him. Waving my hand, all of the gifts rose in the air, ready to trail behind me wherever I went. Looking over my mother's letter once more, I crushed it in my fist and tossed it into the fire, not wasting a second to watch it burn. Turning on my heel, I raced back up to my bedroom suite with Nova in my arms.

Closing and locking the door behind me, I tried to think quickly. Running to my walk-in closet, I stripped out of my dirty hunting clothes and yanked on thick leggings, boots, a sweater, and a hooded cloak – all black. Shaking my long, thick curls loose, I pulled my star pendant from underneath my shirt and realized that for the first time in memory, it was pulsing and glowing. I ran my finger over the smooth amber surface, allowing my finger to trail around the edges, brushing over all seven points when I felt a small prick and a millisecond of suction, as if the damn thing had sucked the blood from my finger. The pulsing sped up and the necklace lifted from my chest on its own, moving around as if trying to gain its bearings. Suddenly, the pulsing stopped and the glowing had shrunk until only one point of the star remained lit. I finally realized what the necklace had been meant for and my mother's words made sense.

_If you wish to know more, just follow your heart – it's the perfect compass to lead you back home._

The necklace had been a dormant compass the entire time… but where did it lead?

_Home…_my mother's voice seemed to whisper directly in my ear.

Walking back into my bedroom, I spotted my wand resting on the bedside table. Holding out my hand, it flew to me and I caught it with practiced ease. Waving it, everything my room and closet begin to neatly fold and organize itself. A small black duffel bag flew from underneath my bed and rested in the center of the room as everything shrunk itself to neatly fit inside. The last items to be packed away were the gifts from my father. I slipped the bag over my head to rest on one shoulder and looked around my bare room one last time.

"Some birthday, huh Nova? I said quietly, holding out my arms. "Let's go."

With a soft yip, she ran across the bed and leapt into my arms, allowing me to carry her out onto the wide balcony that overlooked the rolling, snow-covered expanse of our estate. The moon was high overhead and it must've been at least one or two o'clock in the morning as a strong, cold breeze began to pick up. I carefully set Nova on the thick banister that surrounded the balcony, where she balanced for a second before swiftly shifting from a husky pup into a giant black raven.

"Such a smart girl," I murmured, stroking her smooth feathers, knowing she'd picked a bird that wouldn't be too noticeable at night.

I gently grabbed a handful of feathers and climbed up onto the banister, and took a second to admire the view from so high up. My family had traveled the world many times over but this was the only home I had ever known…and now I never wished to return.

Facing Nova, I jumped and swung my leg over her back, settling into my riding spot just behind her powerful wings. I pulled the neck of my sweater up over my face to protect against the polar wind, clenched her great body with my knees and held my breath as she abrupt leapt off the balcony and fell into a steep dive.

I had always hated the feeling off freefalling but I trusted Nova more than most humans. The wind whipped at us and I watched the ground race to meet us, but I had complete faith in my familiar and our years of training together. And sure enough, as we'd done a hundred times, Nova opened her wings and we soared back up into the sky. Finding her wind, Nova flew swiftly and soon we were on our way.

I didn't look back.


	2. Hogwarts

**Chapter 2**

Heavy rain lashed the windows, partially obscuring the beautiful landscape that sped by – the sky flashed sporadically with vivid bolts of lightning. Absently staring out the window, I finished changing from my traveling clothes into my uniform, buttoning the front of my crisp white blouse and pulling my hair back with a plain black headband.

I felt like I was moving on auto-pilot, every movement mechanical as I packed away my old clothes in my trunk and holstered my wand on my right thigh. The world around me seemed to melt away while I awaited the completion of the day-long trip that I had spent in silence and solitude.

It had been nearly nine months since my birthday…since my entire life had been uprooted and flipped upside down. Nine months with no word or sign from my father – that was what worried me the most. He had more than enough means and muscle to track me down if he wanted to, and I knew that he had received the message I'd left behind, but he hadn't attempted to make contact yet. The thought of an unknown threat that I couldn't predict made me uneasy, and I felt my father's presence looming over me almost every day, like a hungry spider watching me from its web in a dark corner. I knew my father would not allow his heir and protégé to escape him so easily, but the thought of confronting him terrified me to my core.

It had been a very eventful and informative time as well.

Coming to wizarding Britain had certainly been an eye-opener. They were more than a bit old-fashioned and backwards in many ways, and I'd had my work cut out for me upon taking up Head of my mother's dormant family line. As the last true heir, I was able to effectively emancipate myself as Lady Grey of the Most Ancient and Gracious House of Grey, throwing away my father's surname of Wilde and wrestling legal control of myself from him. Having always lived a lavish lifestyle, it was a pleasant surprise to learn about the sheer wealth and power that came with the House of Grey.

And now here I was, completely stoic as the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station. As the doors opened, the silencing and locking charms that I had placed over my compartment fell and the noise of hundreds of other students crowded my senses. It was going to be an adjustment being in a formal school with so many people, having been personally trained and tutored within the estate.

"How are you doing in there, Nova?" I said softly, reaching into the hidden pocket on my skirt and stroking her small, soft body. She'd taken the form of a small rodent of some kind and was curled up against the warmth of my body. She made a small noise and snuggled in deeper, and I took that as her answer.

As the outer train doors opened, there was a deep rumble of thunder overhead. I pulled on a plain black sweater over my blouse and pulled the hood up as I left the compartment and joined the sea of students streaming out onto the platform. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it felt like buckets of ice-cold water being dumped over our heads. I let the shouts and laughs and screams wash over me as I took it all in.

Apparently, first year students traditionally reached Hogwarts castle by sailing across the lake with the gamekeeper. However, upon accepting my invitation to the institution over the summer, I had corresponded with Album Dumbledore, the headmaster, who had instructed me to take the carriages up to the school with the upper years and wait in the entrance hall with the first years.

"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," a vaguely familiar girl with thick, soaked hair said fervently as we all inched along the dark platform. A hundred carriages stood waiting outside the station, and I froze upon suddenly coming face to face with the scaly winged horse-like creatures.

No one else around me seemed to notice them and I certainly wasn't going to bring that kind of attention to myself. After all, how would I explain how I'd seen people die? Many….many people…

I slipped into a carriage with a few other students who didn't bother me. The door shut with a snap and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track toward Hogwarts.

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, I got my first look at Hogwarts and I was speechless. It was beautiful. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.

At the end of the line, everyone jumped from the carriage and dashed up the step. I fell behind and reached into my pocket, gently scooping Nova's small body into my head and bringing her up to eye level. She appeared to be some sort of small chipmunk. "What do you say you do a bit of exploring and come find me later?" I murmured, stroking her hair. She shivered slightly and leapt from my hands, scurrying back down the stairs and towards the nearest bush. I saw only a scaled tail appear as she disappeared from view. I hurried back, looking up only when I was safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase.

"Blimey," A red-haired boy said from a few feet away, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, "if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak – AARGH!"

A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto his head and exploded. Drenched and sputtering, he staggered sideways into… into Harry Potter.

Though I had been born and raised in Spain, I had been well-versed in the story of Harry Potter and the dark lord responsible for his fame. I'd even seen him briefly at the World Cup over the summer, and had been grateful that I'd left immediately after the match, avoiding the debacle that erupted afterwards. He didn't seem as almighty powerful as the stories made him seem; in fact, he seemed a bit…average to me, which was a bit of a disappointment.

The second water bombed dropped, narrowly missing the same girl that had been with Potter at the Cup, and burst at his feet, sending a wave of water over his shoes. People all around us shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire. I looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above us, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again.

"Who the –" I growled, sidestepping a particularly large water balloon.

"PEEVES!" An angry voice yelled, answering my question.

"Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and I automatically threw out an arm to help steady her.

"Ah! Thank you," she said breathlessly, before rounding. "Peeves, get down here NOW!" she barked, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.

"Not doing nothing!" Peeves cackled, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.

"I shall call the headmaster!" the witch shouted. "I'm warning you, Peeves –"

Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.

"Well, move along, then!" the witch said sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!"

Soon, I was left alone in the entrance hall with the stern witch and helped her clean up the mess the poltergeist had made.

"You must be Miss –" the woman pinked and cleared her throat, "Lady Grey. I apologize for the chaos. I assure you, we typically do not start term under such conditions."

"Miss Grey or Gia is perfectly acceptable," I said respectfully, shaking her hand, "Professor..?"

"McGonagall," she said firmly, a fraction more relaxed, "Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Grey. I am the Deputy Headmistress, Transfigurations Professor, and Head of Gryffindor House. We are pleased to have such a fine young witch joining us this year."

"The pleasure is all mines, Professor. I'm happy to be here," I said, smiling, "That's quite the impressive resume."

Her lip twitched slightly. "When you've lived as long as I have, you learn how to make your mark along the way." Before she could say anything else, the first years arrived and eyed me with confusion, but remained quiet as the Professor led us into a small, empty chamber off the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall," She began. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Professor McGonagall disappeared into the Hall, and I was left with the tiny first years, all soaking wet and shivering. "If you want to be dry and warm, line up!" I called, feeling bad for the little brats. Without hesitation, all of them fell into line and I carefully cast drying and warming charms over all of them. They all thanked me quietly and began speculating about how we would be sorted. I already knew, but to tell them would ruin part of the experience.

I was leaning against a wall, when several people screamed. Looking up, I saw about twenty ghosts stream through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance –"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name, especially after that stunt he pulled tonight, and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.

"New students!" the Fat Friar said, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" the Friar said. "My old house, you know.

"Move along now," a sharp voice said. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," she told us, "Miss Grey, please stand in front, and follow me."

I was nearly disgusted by my own nerves – my stomach a tight bundle of tension and wiggling knots. Pulling on every ounce of training and control, I stood ramrod straight and led the line out of the chamber, across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating midair over four long tables, where the rest of the student body awaited the commencement of the feast. The tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the front of the hall was another long table perpendicular to the four; Professor McGonagall led us to the front of the hall and we came to a halt in a line facing the other students, the teachers at our backs. I could sense a fair bit of power flowing from the table and I knew that such a signature could belong to none other than Albus Dumbledore himself, figuratively and literally the brightest person in the room with his twinkling robes.

"_Who _is _that? She's not a firstie."_

"_There's no way her hair is naturally that red – not without magic!"_

"_What's up with her eyes? They're almost gold."_

Having the heightened senses that came with my powers had always been praised as a gift and an advantage; however, in that moment, as the whispers and questions rose up across the hall, being able to hear what most of them were saying seemed like more of a curse. The only times I could ever remember having so many eyes on me at once were official business or government-funded events and parties, or during my father's briefings, where I stood at his side as his heir before his legion of assassins – and even they usually kept their eyes lowered out of fear and respect. To avoid the penetrating stares, I glanced up at the ceiling that was beautifully enchanted to look like the sky outside. Black and purple clouds swirled in an almost entrancing dance, and as another thunderclap roared outside, a fork of lightning flashed.

"_Look at her face! She looks like such a bitch –"_

A deafening boom of thunder shook the castle so hard that the many candles flickered, startling the entire Hall. A few students screamed and some of the professors jumped to their feet to calm everyone. Clenching and releasing my fists at my side, I took a deep breath.

In… Out…

_Don't let these idiots get to you… You're better than that – more well-trained than to lose your cool over a few rude comments…_I gently reminded myself.

The thunder eased into a gentle rumble and finally, McGonagall managed to regain everyone's attention. She retrieved a three-legged stool and set it on the ground before us – on top of it, she placed an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. For a moment, there was complete silence as everyone stared…waiting. Then, a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the damned thing broke into song.

_A thousand years or more ago  
When I was newly sewn,  
There lived four wizards of renown,  
Whose names are still well known:_

_Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,  
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,  
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,  
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen._

_They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,  
They hatched a daring plan  
To educate young sorcerers  
Thus Hogwarts School began._

_Now each of these four founders  
Formed their own house, for each  
Did value different virtues  
In the ones they had to teach._

_By Gryffindor, the bravest were  
Prized far beyond the rest;  
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest  
Would always be the best;_

_For Hufflepuff, hard workers were  
Most worthy of admission;  
And power-hungry Slytherin  
Loved those of great ambition._

_While still alive they did divide  
Their favorites from the throng,  
Yet how to pick the worthy ones  
When they were dead and gone?_

_Twas Gryffindor who found the way,  
He whipped me off his head  
The founders put some brains in me  
So I could choose instead!_

_Now slip me snug about your ears,  
I've never yet been wrong,  
I'll have a look inside your mind  
And tell where you belong!_

The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished but I felt no more reassured than I had moments ago. I felt that I could belong into any of the four houses, but I supposed that it wasn't up to me. Professor McGonagall was already unrolling a large scroll of parchment...

"Grey, Gia!"

To my surprise and dismay, there seemed to be an almost simultaneous intake of breath amongst the children of older wizarding families, even a few professors – anyone that may have known my mother or even heard about her gruesome death…all staring at me in shock and curiosity.

"_I never knew she had a child – Albus, did you –"_

"…_heard she'd run off with some rich pureblood from Spain…"_

"…_murdered! Yes, that's right. They found her body –"_

Professor McGonagall quelled and silenced the whispers with the deadliest look I ever wanted to see on that woman's face. "Miss Grey, if you will…" she said sternly, gesturing to the stool.

More annoyed than anything, I straightened my shoulders and walked forward with as much dignity as I could muster. On the outside, I was expressionless – stone cold. Every muscle in my body was wound tight as I picked the Sorting Hat up from the stool, sat down, and placed it atop my head. The Great Hall was so still…the silence was thick and tangible, like an invisible pressure pressing down around us all.

"Would you please allow me a peek inside your mind, Grey? I do have to know where I'm sorting you," the Hat murmured after about thirty seconds had passed, soft enough that only I would hear.

There was no way that I would willingly walk into an environment ill-prepared, and had done as much research into Hogwarts as possible after receiving my invitation from the headmaster. There were, apparently, laws written by the Founders that stated that the Sorting Hat could never reveal what it saw in the heads of the students it sorted, unless there was a perceivable threat to the school or those within it. Though I had no intentions of hurting anyone around me, every atom of my body was a ticking time bomb. I wasn't sure which would cause more trouble – allowing the Hat into my mind or refusing in front of the entire school.

"Well? The Hat prompted after a full minute had passed.

More whispers rose up amongst the students and I could even hear a couple teachers murmuring to one another at the Head Table behind me. There was truly no choice at this point – I had stepped foot on the train knowing what I would face when I arrived.

Taking a deep breath, my fingertips clutched the edges of the stool seat so tightly that I could hear the wood protesting. With immense effort, I cringed as I allowed a very small hole to open up in my mental barriers, shivering as the Hat's presence entered my mind.

Several long, cruel seconds passed before anything happened.

"Finally! I have to confess that I'm quite curious as to what could be hiding behind these – oh! Oh dear!" the Hat exclaimed, coming to a halt in his search.

I felt grainy bits of wood crumbling between my fingers as my body began filling with energy, like a balloon being inflated with helium.

"Quite the little monster, aren't you?" the Hat hummed thoughtfully, restarting its perusing.

"I'd like to think I'm a civilized monster, thank you very much," I thought, rolling my eyes beneath the brim.

"Just barely… You've done some truly horrible things in your short life, child," said the Hat, though not judgmentally.

"I don't think that's any of your business, now is it?" I replied sharply, feeling the tiniest bit of worry make itself known.

"Don't worry, Grey. I perceive no viable or immediate threat from you, so I will do my duty and sort you without comment on your… lifestyle."

"How considerate," I ground out mentally.

It had now been about four minutes since I placed the Hat on my head. Four full minutes of staring and that incessant whispering that floated towards my ears no matter how much I wanted to block it out. These people… they were so fascinated that they didn't know whether they wanted me in their House or as far away from it as possible.

That energy that had been rising inside of me slowly began to heat up and finally, I forced myself to relax. Crossing one leg over the over, I closed my eyes and bowed my head, the brim of the Sorting Hat obscuring my face from the rest of the Hall.

"…loads of brains, very studious, but not much of a thirst for knowledge simply for knowledge's sake – Ravenclaw is out…"

"…more than a bit spoiled, though not afraid to get dirty with some hard work. Loyal, but only to a select few – not very trusting, certainly not Hufflepuff…"

"Hmm, incredible power! And you haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg yet! Cunning and ambition…and a ruthlessness that is actually quite refreshing. Most of the people that come through me are rather squeamish, can you believe it?"

"Squeamish eleven year olds," I thought absently, "Who would've ever thought?"

"I'm sorry, am I boring you?" the Hat started, clearly irritated. "I should just chuck you into Slytherin and let Merlin sort the rest out. But," he added loudly, cutting off my oncoming thoughts, "I'd rather not have any hand in the massacre that's sure to follow in the dungeons. Listen closely… you have a brilliant mind and more power than any student that has come through these walls. Dumbledore honestly has no idea what he's done by bringing you here. Courage can be pulled from the most surprising sources, but cunning is always there when you need it – remember that. GRYFFINDOR!"

The table on the far left exploded with ear-shattering cheers, and I resisted the urge to slap my hands over my ears. I felt almost weak as the nerves finally dissipated and I even managed a small smile as I set the Hat gently onto the stool and slowly walked over to my new House table. A little unsure of where to sit, I was saved the trouble as the same bushy-haired girl I'd noticed on the platform and at the Cup shot me a kind smile and scooted closer to the boy beside her, making room for me on her right side.

"Thanks," I said softly, climbing onto the bench beside her. Looking down, I watched as my tie changed from black to red and gold.

"Hermione Granger," she introduced herself, "Welcome to Hogwarts, and to Gryffindor!"

"Welcome home, gorgeous!" shouted two identical red-haired boys from a little ways down the table. A few knowing laughs rose up around me as the table's cheers died down.

"Gia, nice to meet you," I said finally, shaking the girl's hand once as the Sorting recommenced.

"Creevey, Dennis!"

A tiny boy staggered forward, tripping over a giant moleskin coat as the absolutely enormous man from the station, Hagrid, sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teacher's table. About twice as tall as a normal man and three times as broad, the man would've appeared frightening with his long, wild tangled black hair and beard – if not for the kindness that positively radiated from his being. He sent a wink in my general direction and as the girl – Hermione – waved back, I realized it had been meant for her and her two friends. Speaking of whom, I was suddenly too aware of Harry Potter sitting directly across the table. It was a wonder that I'd been able to ignore him for so many minutes what with him staring a hole into the side of my face.

Hagrid took his seat at the Head Table and we all watched little Dennis place the Sorting Hat on his head. The rip at the brim opened wide –

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.

I clapped proudly along with the other Gryffindors as Dennis beamed and practically ripped the Hat from his head. He placed it back on the stool and hurried over to join a boy that looked like a slightly older version of himself. There was something about the Gryffindor Table… the very energy around it was warm and welcoming.

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling to be surrounded by.

"Colin, I fell in!" he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. "It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!"

"Cool!" Colin said, just as excitedly. "It was probably the giant squid!"

"Wow!" Dennis said, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster.

"Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? Know who he is, Dennis?"

Peering at him from my peripheral, I watched Potter's smile fade just a bit and he looked away from the younger boys, now staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, who was now focused on Emma Dobbs.

Interesting… Almost as if he didn't care for the attention…

The Sorting continued. Boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moved one by one to the three-legged stool, and the line dwindled slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's.

"Oh hurry up," the red-haired member of the threesome moaned, massaging his stomach.

"Now Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food," said a ghost that I faintly recognized from _A History, Hogwarts_ as Nearly Headless Nick.

"Course it is, if you're dead," Ron snapped, jumping slightly as Hermione glared at him from across the table. "What! You didn't have to kick me!"

"Honestly Ronald…" Hermione huffed, rolling her eyes.

"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch," Nearly Headless Nick said, applauding as "McDonald, Natalie!" joined our table. "We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?"

"Winning streak?" I repeated before I could stop myself.

"Err…yeah…" Potter began awkwardly.

Ahh, so the boy speaks.

"We've won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row. Before that, Slytherin had won it for seven years in a row."

"And I suppose it's just a coincidence that the streak began the year you all became first years?" I said, allowing myself to relax and fall back on my naturally sociable tendencies. Awkward silences didn't suit me.

The trio – Potter, Ron, and Hermione – shared a look and smiled.

"A coincidence – right," said Ron with feigned innocence.

Finally, with Kevin Whitby being sorted into Hufflepuff, the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the Hat and the stool and carried them away.

"About time," Ron said, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate.

Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet and I couldn't help but gaze in admiration as I felt his power flow effortlessly around him. Some wizards would kill to radiate that sort of magical presence. I could immediately tell that the other students weren't as sensitive to magic as I was, and so they didn't feel it, probably not unless Dumbledore wanted them to. He was smiling around at all of the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.

"I have only two words to say to you," he told us, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in."

"Hear, hear!" Potter and Ron said loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before our eyes, bringing a small smile to my lips.

Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as we loaded our own plates, and while Hermione was more reserved, I found that I was quite famished and ate as heartily as the boys I sat across from. The feast was not uninteresting in the slightest. I was, of course, bombarded with the typical question.

"Where are you from?"

"Oooh, so you can speak Spanish?"

"What brings you to Hogwarts so late?"

"What do your parents do?"

And funnily enough, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

I was able to give impersonal enough answers to satisfy the curious for now, and deflected the more personal questions that I did not wish to answer. In return, I took the spotlight off of myself by asking everyone around me about Hogwarts and what to expect. Nick regaled us with tales of Peeves the Poltergeist and pranksters that have come and gone through the ages. He mentioned the enormous gathering of house-elves that worked secretly around the castle and this somehow upset Hermione enough that she refused to finish her meal.

The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings. My eyes lit up and my hand darted for the platter of treacle tart just as Potter's did the same – we'd even gone for the same one.

Feeling a bit playful, I slapped his hand away and picked up the biggest one off the top. "Ladies, first, Potter," I teased, my eyes glittering as I wondered how he'd respond.

Very maturely, he snatched the treacle tart from my fingers and licked it, claiming it as his own. "You snooze, you lose, Grey," he shot back, meeting my glare with a humorous calm.

A teenage celebrity with a sense of humor…how refreshing.

When the puddings too had been demolished and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean once again, Dumbledore got to his feet. He projected a benevolent grandfatherly figure but that twinkle in his eye was more aware and alert than I might've originally noticed. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.

"So!" Dumbledore said, smiling around at us all. "Now that we are all fed and watered –"

"Hmph!" Hermione snorted, crossing her arms defiantly.

"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The slight twitch at the corner of Dumbledore's mouth suggested that even he didn't take the list seriously, but he continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" an outraged cry that was echoed by students across the Hall.

Potter, Fred and George (the red-haired twins) were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. During dinner I had learned that they were all current members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, so this must've come as terrible news. I had to admit that even I had been excited to follow the school teams that year, and perhaps even test my skills against new opponents.

Dumbledore went on.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts –"

I could've growled at the interruption. What was so important and mysterious that they had to cancel the Quidditch season for the entire year?

There was deafening rumble of thunder and at the same moment, the doors of the Great Hall burst open, startling most everyone.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, my hand rested on my wand in its holster, and he was suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, and then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step, and I recognized the sound of wood. He must have a prosthetic leg. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped.

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a surprisingly familiar face, though that didn't lessen any of the shock at seeing it. His face looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces were supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scared. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that were the most eye-catching, no pun intended. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all we could see was whiteness.

That was the face of a man who had dedicated his life to fighting the dark arts.

The man reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words I should've been able to hear but couldn't. That perplexed me as my hearing could pick up sounds from portraits farther away in the castle if I really pushed it. Dumbledore seemed to be making some inquiry of the man, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone that I still couldn't hear. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.

The man sat down, shook his mane of dark grey hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore said brightly into the silence. Ah, now his presence made sense. "Professor Moody."

I expected a new staff member to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students clapped except Dumbledore, Hagrid, and I. The trio and others seemed startled by my fervent applause of the man, but how could I not show respect for a man that had literally sacrificed life and limbs to his cause? A true warrior. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

"That's rude you know," I hissed pointedly, causing those around me to look away quickly.

"Moody?" Potter muttered to Ron. "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be," Ron said in a low, awed voice.

"Wait, what did he need help with?" I whispered curiously.

"Thought he heard intruders around the side of his house," Potter murmured, "enchanted dustbin lids and a whole lot of other rot. They suspect he was just being paranoid."

"What happened to him?" Hermione whispered. "What happened to his face?"

"He's been fighting dark wizards and creatures since he was a graduate, fresh out of Hogwarts. He was a trainee in the Auror program, then an Auror, and he quickly moved up the ranks until he was a Head Auror and Hit Wizard. Of course, he took it upon himself to take care of things outside his job as well. He's been captured and tortured, and injured in battle too many times to count. Too many attempts on his life, and now he won't drink out of anything except his own flask. Checks all his food before he even nibbles it. I wouldn't be surprised if the inside of his coat was lined with weapons, and perhaps an extra wand or two."

"But wizards are only allowed to carry one!" Hermione gasped, completely missing the point.

"That's bloody incredible," Ron breathed, now more awed than before.

"Why do you know so much about him?" Potter asked quietly.

I gave him a sidelong glance. "I make it my business to know things," I replied simply, seeing that my answer hadn't satisfied his curiosity in the slightest.

"What was your mum's name again? If you don't mind my asking," Hermione added quickly, noting the rapid darkening of my expression.

"Ava Grey – why?" I asked curtly, noting the change in Hermione's expression.

Her eyes widened dramatically and she flushed, looking down and biting her lip. "Oh nothing…" she said, but I figured I could push her later on the subject.

Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it, furthering my point about his paranoid habits. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and I saw that below the table was several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.

That thing still creeped me out, even so many years later. I don't think I'd stepped foot in the British Ministry of Magic since before my mother's death, not until this past year, at least, but I would never forget someone like Moody.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"Holy shit…" I whistled, allowing myself to revel in the suddenly charged and excited energy in the Hall. The Triwizard Tournament… that might be worth missing the Quidditch season this year.

"You're JOKING!" Fred exclaimed loudly.

The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

"I assure you I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar…"

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Err – but maybe this is not the time…no…" Dumbledore said, "Ah where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."

Looking around the Hall, it was clear that even those who knew what the Tournament entailed were paying rapt attention.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Death toll?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed.

"Where's the glory or sense of competition if it isn't a little dangerous or challenging, Hermione?" I asked, laughing at her horror. Her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of the other students. In fact, many were already in huddles along their tables, whispering excitedly to one another.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger."

"Fun suckers," I sighed, looking up to the heavens.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches.

He was obviously not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, I could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have all agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This –" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious – "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled knowingly as they flicked over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."

Ron laughed.

"He's wasting his breath. He knows nothing will stop Fred and George from trying anyway."

"Damn right, little brother!" George hissed in our direction, having heard Ron. I admired his determination.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as we all got to our feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall. I naturally fell in step beside Hermione, seeing as we were both headed for the fourth year girls' dorm anyway. She didn't seem to mind the addition to their little group as we made our way through the crowd.

"They can't do that!" George said, still quite indignant. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we get a shot?"

"If they make an exception for you two, they'll have to do the same thing for every underage student that wants to answer," I stated rather obviously.

The twins paused for a minute.

"They're not stopping me entering," Fred finally said stubbornly, scowling back towards the Great Hall. "The champions will get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!"

Was it shallow of me to think that a thousand Galleons was pocket change? I didn't express the thought out loud.

"Yeah," said Ron, a faraway look on his face. "Yeah, a thousand Galleons…"

"Come on," Hermione said, bringing them back to reality, "we'll be the only ones left behind if you lot don't move."

And so Potter, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and I set off for the entrance hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament.

"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" Potter asked.

"Dunno," Fred said, "but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George…"

"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though," Ron said.

"Doesn't matter," I stepped in, "Once the champion is chosen for their school, they can't back out unless all three school heads agree to restart the entire tournament and re-pick every champion. And since Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are only bringing the students they think could be good champions, I doubt they'll agree to restart the tournament no matter who's chosen."

"People have died, though! Doesn't that bother any of you?" Hermione asked worriedly as we walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase.

"Not at all," Fred said airily, and I quickly noticed that he was the more vocal twin, "but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, it's like little Gia said, where's the fun without a bit of risk? The fun is in the danger. Hey Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?"

He gulped and stepped a little further away from me as I leveled him with a glare for the '_little Gia'_ comment.

"What d'you reckon?" Ron asked Potter. "Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older…Dunno if we've learned enough…"

"I definitely haven't," came Neville Longbottom's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George.

"Neville!" I exclaimed happily, jumping on the unsuspecting boy and pulling him into a quick, tight hug. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Err –" he cleared his throat, his face awfully red, "It – it's nice – nice to see you too. I was surprised to see you in the line of first years, and – and I saw you get sorted into Gryffindor…"

My eyes traveled down to his red and gold tie and my grin widened. "We're in the same House, isn't that great?" I said happily.

"You two know each other?" Ron asked, almost disbelievingly, as he looked from Neville to me, and back again.

"We used to play together when we were kids," I said fondly, nudging the still pink-faced boy's arm.

"Really?" everyone seemed to ask unanimously.

"Yeah…when I used to spend summers here with my mom and grandparents; I hadn't really thought about it until now, but I suppose I'll be running into a lot of old faces… What were you saying about Tournament, Nev?"

"Just that – that I expect my gran would want me to try. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to –"

My arm darted out and jerked Neville towards me before his foot could sink into a step halfway up the staircase. I didn't know how I'd known about the trick step… it was just a feeling I'd had.

"Thanks Gia," Neville gasped, clutching his chest. I could hear his heart racing.

"No problem Nev," I said easily, "And don't worry about your gran. Honor isn't solely won on a battlefield or through acts of reckless bravery. Just find what you're good at and give it your all."

We made our way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, my first time, which was concealed behind a portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she asked as we approached.

"Balderdash," George said, "a prefect downstairs told me."

The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which we all climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, and I distinctly heard her mutter "Slave labor" before she glanced over at me.

"I can show you up to our dorm, if you'd like?" she offered tentatively.

"Thank you, I'll be up in a few minutes. Save me a good bed?" I said warmly, receiving a very pretty and pleasant smile in return.

"Of course!"

By that time, most of the House had already gone up to their dorms, tired and full from the long day's journey and the magnificent feast. Soon, I was alone in the common room and I found myself curling up on the couch directly across from the fireplace.

"Everything alright?" came a soft voice from behind me. It was Potter.

"I'm fine," I said quietly, chancing a look at him as he came around the couch and sat on the opposite end. He didn't look directly at me though, simply stared into the flames as I had. "I suppose I just needed a minute to…to take it all in, you know?"

"Trust me, I know exactly what you mean. I believe I did this very same thing on my first night here back in first year."

It was interesting to watch the flames dance in his vivid green eyes, and I found that I didn't mind his presence. Though he'd seemed rather average upon our brief encounter at the gates of the World Cup and again earlier in the entrance hall before the sorting, now that it was just the two of us, much closer than before, I could feel the quiet hum of strong magic from within him. He also didn't exude the expected arrogance or sense of entitlement that typically accompanied someone that had grown up with such widely spread fame.

"I remember I could barely sleep my first night here," he continued, a faraway look in his eyes, "and when I did finally fall asleep, I had all sorts of odd dreams."

"Tell me about it," I huffed humorlessly.

Just then, his jaw nearly cracked with the force of a yawn and I laughed softly and nudged his leg with my foot. "Sounds like it's time for you to power down, wonder boy."

"Wonder boy, eh?" he snorted, rolling his eyes. "That's a first."

He stood up all the same and reached high over his head to stretch, fighting back another yawn. "Are you heading up soon? Are you going to be okay?" he asked more seriously.

I had to admit that I was touched by his genuine concern.

"Go on to sleep, I'll be fine, and yes, I'll turn in soon," I assured him.

"Well alright then," he shrugged, heading up the stairs towards the boys' dorms, "Goodnight Gia."

"Goodnight Potter," I called back as quietly as possible, never taking my eyes off the fire.

"It's Harry," he said.

I turned my head to look at him, but he'd already disappeared behind the door. "Well…goodnight then…Harry…" I whispered to no one.

I must've sat in the common room alone for another thirty minutes or so, simply reflecting on the day as a whole. I tried not to let my mind wander to darker things – like the ever-looming possibility that my father would storm the castle and take me home kicking and cursing. Even though I knew that the likeliness of that actually happening was very slim, it didn't stop my imagination from taking on a life of its own. And when I could no longer stand the mind-numbing circles that my thoughts flew in, I finally retreated to the girls' dorm.

Entering through the main door at the top of the staircase, I found myself in a long hallway with about fifteen doors all together. The doors on the left were labeled with numbers one through seven, and each door had a plaque with the names of the girls in that year engraved upon it. After opening the first door on the right, I realized that each of those doors led to large bathrooms that must've coincided with each year. The door directly ahead at the end of the hallway held a plaque that simply said **Storage**.

Taking a deep breath, I approached the fourth door on the left and sure enough, there was my name on the list, along with Elizabeth Moon, Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil – my new roommates. There must've been silencing charms around the door because the second I stepped inside, I was introduced to what sounded like a small bear but was actually Lavender, sound asleep and sprawled across the bed closest the door on the right. The dorm itself was a large circular room with five four-poster beds set in an incomplete circle that finished at the door. It appeared that the two beds on both the left and right were taken, and only the fifth bed, straight ahead and placed directly beneath the only window in the room, was vacant. I immediately recognized my trunk resting at the foot of the bed and as soon as I stepped further into the room and closed the door softly behind me, I heard the patter of tiny paws and then Nova's small black kitten form slinked from the shadows and she leapt into my arms.

"She was already in here when we came up," said Hermione's soft whisper from the bed to the left of mine. She poked her head out from behind the curtain and smiled tiredly at me. "Lavender wanted the window bed but your cat scared her something serious and she ended up on the bed furthest away from you."

"Good girl, Nova," I cooed, scratching behind her ear as she purred and snuggled into my arms. I almost wished I'd been around to see the event take place. "You weren't waiting up for me, were you Hermione?"

Even in the dark, I caught her slight embarrassment. "I – uh – just wanted to… make sure you were okay," she said sheepishly. "Merlin knows I couldn't sleep my first night here."

"Harry…" I said slowly, testing out his name on my tongue, "said something similar to me before he went to bed. I really appreciate you all being so welcoming, honestly."

Walking over to the bed Nova had apparently chosen for us, I had to admit that I didn't mind the beautiful view of the grounds from the Tower. Even feeling the moonlight wash over me filled me with peace and calm.

"We like to think of ourselves as one big, loud, dysfunctional family," Hermione whispered jokingly as I set Nova on the crisply-made bed and set about rummaging in my trunk for pajamas. "If you need anything, you can always let me know…"

Tossing the silk shorts and matching half-shirt on the bed, I carelessly began to strip down to my underwear, even as I thanked Hermione for her kind words. I only realized my mistake when I heard Hermione's sharp intake of breath.

"Oh Gia…" she whispered, horrified as she looked over my half-naked body, my beautiful skin marred by dozens of permanent reminders of my training…and my failures. "Why do you…have so…so many scars? Oh –" she clapped her hand over her mouth, "Oh I'm so sorry! That's none of my business, forgive me! You'd think being friends with Harry would've taught me better, I –"

"Relax Hermione," I said, much more calmly than I felt. Nova had made herself a bit bigger and pushed her head cautiously into my hand – I gave her a reassuring scratch. "I understand it's a bit shocking to see, and I wasn't thinking. I apologize for startling you."

It seemed Hermione didn't quite know what to say as I pulled on my pajamas and finally, climbed into bed, allowing Nova to find a comfortable spot beside me. Just before I extinguished the soft light that had turned on when I entered the room, I looked over at my bed-mate. "Mind keeping that bit to yourself?"

"You have my word," said Hermione softly.

With that, we were plunged into darkness, broken only by the moon's steady glow through the window. I lied awake long after Hermione's heartrate had calmed and her breathing became slow and even. It must've been well past midnight by the time sleep claimed me.


	3. Control

**Chapter 3**

_Giaaaaa…_

_Wake up, my princess…_

"Hmm…" I hummed, rolling over and snuggling deeper into my pillow.

_Gia…you must find it…_

The warmth of Nova's small body tucked under my side disappeared and she yowled softly, pawing at my foot.

"Cut…out…Nova…" I mumbled, trying my hardest to return to the sweet, blissful unawareness of deep sleep. I could feel no warmth of the sun through the window and the rest of the dorm was dead silent, except for Lavender's incessant snoring.

_Giaaaaa…_

"Five more…minutes…mom…"

My eyes popped open and I bolted upright, startling Nova so much so that she hissed and nearly fell through the curtains off the side of the bed. Waving my hand, the curtains silently slid open and my eyes darted rapidly around the room – looking…searching…

"I'd know that voice anywhere but…it's impossible," I whispered, holding Nova close as she cuddled into my lap, purring deeply.

Looking down, my seven-point pendant necklace was glowing again, something it hadn't done since the night I left my home in Spain and traveled to Britain on Nova's back. The entire surface glowed and once again, slowly began to pulse and throb – it even vibrated against my chest until I picked it up and eyed it closely. The pulsing sped up and, just as it had nine months ago, the glow shrunk until it was centered on one point; the pendant lifted from my hands and moved around until it seemed to find what it was looking for. Nova looked on curiously but kept her distance from the thing and when I hesitated, the necklace seemed to give an insistent tug forward.

"_Tempus!_" I whispered, watching as red numbers appeared in the air before me.

**4:44 AM**

The necklace tugged again, harder this time.

Looking around the room again, I listened carefully – four steady heartbeats, one loud snore, and three soft, even bodies breathing… everyone was still sound asleep. Throwing my legs over the side of my bed, I silently summoned the boots that had come with the battle-suit my father had left me on my birthday – they were created for stealth and silence. Holstering my wand to my right thigh, I crept as silently as possible to the dorm door and stopped – it would no doubt creak as I opened it. Seemingly reading my mind, Nova jumped into my arms and curled in tight as black wisps gathered around me, blocking my vision.

One minute I was inside the fourth year girl's dorm…and the next, I was just outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, in a dark corner off to the side. Casting a disillusionment charm over Nova and me, I followed the silent directions of the necklace, watching as it moved from side to side through the air. To my confusion and surprise, we never left the seventh floor but after making several rounds and passing the Fat Lady for the fifth time, I wondered if the damn thing was broken or confused.

Ignoring its incessant tugging, I moved over to a wide, open window that bathed the entire section of the corridor in soft moonlight. Stepping before the opening, the instant rush of power that raged through my body was almost staggering as the iridescent glow washed over me. A distinct tingle began at my fingertips and toes, and quickly spread until I felt the strong hum of magic and pure energy flowing. Slowly, I flexed my rigid, constant control over my primal energies and allowed the senses of my ancestors to enlighten me and help guide to me wherever I was supposed to be. Having grown up under the watchful eye of my mother, blessed with the Sight and gifts of the goddesses, I knew better than most how to read signs – I knew that everything happened for a reason.

My hair curled as an invisible wind began to stir, entirely magical in its nature. My fingernails grew long and sharp, changing from their normal, manicured appearance to obsidian black claws. The corridor around me glowed under the golden glow of my eyes as I turned away from the window, and my senses stretched far beyond what was normal. I could almost see the incredibly intricate and interwoven web of magic that spread throughout every inch, nook, and cranny of the castle, all in my mind's eye. As I breathed deeply, centuries' old scents…emotions…magical signatures come and gone came to me. There were several particularly strong and noticeable strands of magic that branched off into the castle's depths, and I knew that they belonged to the strongest magical presences in these walls.

Kneeling down, I almost smiled as I noticed Nova rigidly standing guard over me, her alert amber eyes darting to every corner and shadow up and down the corridor as I did what I needed to do. The necklace had long since begun pulsing erratically again and was almost blinding in light and I placed my bare palms on the hard, stone floor. My heart thundered in my ears and I reached out with my magic, merging with the powers imbued within the pendant. Seconds passed…

And then I had taken off at a blurred sprint, caution be damned, with Nova following right on my heels. My heart soared and exploded with pure love, my pulse positively raced – I would know that magical signature better than my own. As I ran, I naturally fell on all fours and nearly destroyed the stone floors with the force of my strides.

But I was so close – YES, so close!

My sprint took me to the farthest end of the seventh floor and around a corner that I was certain had not been there before. I was further than anyone had gone in recent years, judging from the lack of active magic in the area and the presence of layered dust everywhere. But her scent – her magic…it was strongest here. I had turned onto a short hallway that ended at a dead end but the necklace pulsed stronger and brighter than ever before. Cancelling the disillusionment charm over Nova and myself, I paced the hall repeated, tapping random stones in the wall and even casting revealing charms, but nothing appeared before me.

Finally, I walked the full length of the short hall and reached out a hand to touch the smooth stone –

"What the –" I gasped as my hand disappeared through the wall up to my wrist and came in contact with what felt like a painted canvas.

Feeling around, I could tell that it was an incredibly large portrait and the innate magic let me know that it was similar to the magic imbued within the Fat Lady. There was something here. On impulse, I raised my left hand and made a fist, pressing the face of my signet ring against the canvas – in an instant, I came face to face with the portrait's inhabitant.

She was…beyond beautiful – supernaturally so. Her pearl-white hair flowed mysteriously and swayed with such a fluid ease, any Veela would be envious. Her pale blue skin had the appearance of moving water, but it was her eyes – they were familiar.

They were my mother's eyes.

But this creature was certainly not my mother.

She seemed to be sitting in jade-green grass at the edge of a pond; the backdrop was of a beautiful and clearly enchanted forest, and a waterfall crashed silently from nearby, feeding into the pond and sending ripples across its surface. The rich, natural colors took my breath away and I had to stop myself from reaching out to see if I could simply step into this beautiful scene. The most eye-catching feature of all, however, was undoubtedly the two large, multi-colored faery wings that protruded from the girl's back and shimmered a different palette each time she shifted her petite body.

When our eyes met, I felt as though my soul had been bared before her to peruse at her leisure, and I found that I didn't enjoy feeling so vulnerable. My senses faded back to normal and the thrum of magic dimmed and retreated into my core, and Nova flanked my right, now a moderately-sized black panther. She growled low and eyed the portrait closely, raising her head defiantly as the faery leveled its gaze on my familiar.

"It has been quite some time since my portrait has been discovered, young Lycan," the faery spoke, her voice the most beautiful and alluring sound I had ever heard in my life. She smiled suddenly, two small fangs peeking out from under her lips. "You are very powerful – I can feel it, even now that you look like a mortal girl – but I'd expect nothing less from her daughter."

My eyes snapped to hers. "Do you mean Ava Grey? Did you know my mother?" I asked quickly, almost desperately.

At the sound of my mother's name, the girl's eyes brightened dramatically, almost glowing through the canvas. "Yes, of course!" she exclaimed, briefly lifting off the grass as her wings fluttered excitedly. "Only a true heir could be led to this place, let alone reveal its hidden location. Hundreds of mortals and magicals have tried over the centuries, but only those of the original bloodline may find me."

Understanding finally dawned and stories from my mother's school years flooded my mind. "So this – this is _the _East Tower?" I whispered reverently, my fingers grazing the shining golden frame that held the faery. "This is where…my mom lived when she was a student here. She told so many stories about this place – about the things she and her friends got into here but, but I never thought I'd get the chance…"

"It is your birthright!" the faery said fiercely, seeming almost angry at the thought of an heir being denied this secret pleasure. "Your ancestors sacrificed a lot so that their heirs may have a place of ultimate privacy and protection. Now," she said grandly, "step forward and enter your new home, heir."

A shiny, golden door handle appeared along the left side of the frame. I grasped it and then paused.

"What's your name?" I asked tentatively.

"Isavéla," she replied, grinning amusedly.

"Giavana, but my friends call me Gia," I said before yanking open the portrait and quickly slipping into the darkness beyond it, Nova immediately slinking in beside me. The sound of her great, powerful paws padding on the ground soothed me and I reached out and patted her silky head.

Inhaling deeply, the most beautiful and wonderful scent filled my nose – my mother's scent was all over the place. Holding my hands in a ball in front of me, I focused and watched as a ball of light grew between my palms and floated up into the air. Wizard's light – the most basic and simple form of controlled magic that most wizard-born children learn. Creating a few more spheres of light and sending them out, I was surprised that there were no spider webs, mold, or other signs of disuse. In fact, the black marble steps seemed to have been polished recently, and I peered down at my distorted reflection as we climbed them.

The staircase wound up in a spiral, and at the top of about twenty steps was a plain black door with the Grey family crest upon it. I paused before the crest and peered closely at it, taking in the woman's head with two faces, one white and the other black, surrounded by a circle of ancient symbols – the two faces of the Sun and Moon goddesses. There was no doorknob or handle, but as I reached out and placed my fingers against the smooth surface, it swung open without a sound.

The moment I stepped into the room, a fire in an enormous fireplace off to the right sprang to life, bringing light and a wave of warmth throughout the place. The common room was a giant circle; the first thing I noticed was that the entire left half of the room was made of glass. It was a long, high, curved window overlooking a section of the Black Lake that was partially hidden by the high cliff that Hogwarts was perched upon. The next thing I noticed was that the ceiling had the same enchantment as the Great Hall and currently looked like the starry, night sky, complete with a glowing moon hanging overhead.

The common room was decorated with mostly glass and soft grey and white furniture; couches, armchairs, and even two large chaise lounges were spread out, along with a few glass tables, a wall with a full bookshelf, and an expensive rug that covered a majority of the grey marble floor. Directly across from the entrance was a grand staircase that led up to the second level; a white marble banister encircled the walkway that circled the entire common room, all the way back around to the entrance. On either side of the double doors were other closed doors that I assumed led to dorms; there had to have been at least twenty rooms, ten on each side, with the double doors making it twenty-one all together.

As I watched Nova travel around the room, sniffing here and there, a sudden yawn nearly cracked my jaw.

"_Tempus!"_

**6:02 AM**

"Damn…" I muttered, knowing I only had about an hour if I wanted to get a nap in before breakfast. "I suppose I can look around more after class."

Whistling, Nova bounded towards me from the where she'd been looking out over the lake at the window, and followed me up the staircase. Stopping outside the double doors, I finally noticed the golden door handles had been in the shape of letters – _A _and _G_.

"For Ava Grey…" I guessed quietly, before grasping each one. The moment I touched the handles, however, the letter _A _morphed into another _G_. I smiled. "For Gia Grey – ha, that's me."

Nova gave an amused sort of huff and finally, I pushed open the double doors and was immediately blown away by the interior.

Unashamed, I had always grown up in an extremely lavish and expensive lifestyle – between the fortunes of the Grey and Wilde families, money had never been a problem for us. We'd lived in the nicest homes and vacationed in the most beautiful places in the world, but this bedroom was easily one of the most beautiful.

It was decorated in a similar fashion as the common room. Directly across from the bedroom doors was a king-sized bed surrounded by a tent-like black lace canopy that was pulled open and tied to two of the four posts. Above the bed, the entire stretch of wall was dominated by a window that extended down to either corner. To the right of the bed, a white chaise lounge was pushed into the corner, easily big enough to comfortably fit at least two people. On my right side, there were two more sets of grand double doubles.

One led to an absolutely monstrous walk-in closet, complete with a large vanity and built-in racks, shelves, and drawers. The other set of double doors led to a bathroom that actually brought a smile to my lips. Every surface – the floors, walls, ceiling, and even the inside of the pool-sized bathtub – was made of shiny obsidian marble. A skylight directly above the tub allowed moonlight to fill its depth, almost tempting me into a hot bubble bath right then. There was another vanity next to a pair of his and hers sinks, and beside that, a large shower stall with sliding glass doors. In the corner, a rack of fluffy black towels and an enchanted laundry hamper waited.

I fought with myself – did I want to take a long, hot bath right then or a quick shower in a few hours. Eventually, my sleepiness won out and I reluctantly left the bathroom and returned to my new bedroom.

"You big baby," I muttered teasingly, eyeing Nova's panther form curled up on the thick, fluffy black rug that covered a large portion of the floor surrounding the bed. She glared up at me with yellow eyes and then rested her head on her great paws, her long tail swishing aimlessly behind her.

Kicking off my boots, I waved my hand and all of my things from Gryffindor Tower appeared in a pile. Quickly setting an alarm for seven-thirty, I smiled and leapt onto the bed, immediately sinking into the impossibly soft mattress. The sheets and pillow cases were black satin and felt cool to the touch; the blanket on top was white satin with black swirls across the surface, it was thick but also cool against my skin.

I was asleep in seconds.

Thick, sweet nectar filled my mouth, easily the most delicious thing I had ever tasted, and I swallowed it greedily. A gaping, empty hunger roared inside of me.

_More – MORE!_

My fangs fully extended, my claws viciously grasped at whatever was releasing such beautiful juice. There was nothing to compare to – for nothing on this mortal earth could possibly have my entire body screaming at me to consume more – MORE! A deep growl wracked my chest and I bit down harder, furiously shaking my head from side to side as the spongy object ran dry.

Rage. Hunger.

They tore through me and my head flew back, a sinister howl ripped through my throat and echoed off the walls. The moment such a bloodthirsty and terrifying sound rebounded back to my eyes, the red, lusty haze cleared and I opened my eyes.

"Pft pft!" I coughed, spitting out what seemed to be brown bird feathers.

My stomach heaved.

Flexing my fingers, I shakily uncurled them from around a distorted and twisted form. My heart thundered inside of my head and a deep unsettling realization dawn within me – as if burned, I dropped the now bloodless, torn, and broken body of an owl.

My head snapped over as Nova's mournful yowl caught my attention. She'd jumped to her feet and stood deadly still, staring at me cautiously.

_More! More blood – more….MEAT! MORE!_ That sadistic hunger roared at the back of my mind.

My entire body was shaking, I felt overly hot and sticky, my eyes glued to the corpse. I crawled backwards away from the dead owl so frantically that I tipped backwards right off of the edge of the bed and crashed onto the hard floor, the rug doing little to cushion the blow. No matter how hard I tried, I could not push down the bloodlust raging through my body – my eyes were glowing, more scarlet than amber now.

Gripping the comforter, I pulled myself up on shaky legs and nearly tipped over, trying and failing to calm my whirling thoughts.

"How did – even…get a hold of an owl…in the first place?" I muttered, clutching my head as the room spun.

In…and out… In…and out…

Several deep breaths later, and Nova apparently felt secure enough to approach me, nudging my hand with her sleek head. Taking comfort from her close proximity and powerful body, I scratched behind her ears and reluctantly jerked my eyes back towards the grotesque figure on the bed, finally noticing the letter in its twisted beak.

"Sweet Merlin, I've killed someone's post owl," I said faintly, leaning onto Nova for support and feeling her body grow even larger to accommodate the weight.

Still trembling, I broke from Nova and crept forward as if the dead creature would burst into a nightmarish rage and attack me for killing it in cold blood.

But of course it didn't. It couldn't – it was dead – I had killed it.

Gently, I pried the bloody envelope from the body and immediately recognized the Gringotts bank crest along the seal.

"Shit, Gnarlkin is going to…" my words trailed off as my attention wandered to the blood that had rubbed off onto my fingers.

My vision went black.

"Bloody – Nova, why the _hell_ did you bite me?" I shouted, rubbing my bum where she'd nipped me. It was hard for her to understand me; however, as my fingers were in my mouth and I'd apparently been desperately sucking the blood from them.

I nearly dropped the letter, ignoring Nova's look of concern, which was already odd enough on the face of a giant panther.

"What's happening to me?" I whispered, still feeling a bit green.

Yes, I'd always had an unnatural hunger for rare meat and I ate more than two grown men, but this…hunger had never controlled me in such a way as it had moments ago.

And I'd certainly never eaten a live animal before.

"I'm not a newly-turned Lycan; I shouldn't have this bloodlust overpowering me…" I muttered, absently patting Nova's head as she nuzzled it against me, allowing me to calm down and clear my head.

Gnarlkin, goblin Lord and House of Grey account overseer, only wrote me about once a month to assess the state of my accounts, but only at the end of every month. It didn't make sense that he'd send me a letter today, especially since I'd recently spoken with him in person only a couple weeks ago. None of these thoughts eased my mind, nor did the fact that the letter was hastily scrawled, rather than Gnarlkin's impeccable handwriting.

_Lady Grey,_

_It has come to my immediate attention that on the night of September 1__st__, 1994, an unknown presence attempted to forcefully enter your new residence, in the residential district known as Eturn Ally. You will be pleased to know that the wards we constructed held true and managed to repel the intruder, but we would recommend coming in to discuss further measures. If you have any questions or concerns, my door is always open._

_Gnarlkin_

The letter dropped to the floor and Nova yowled softly, lowering her head worriedly. I raked my fingers through my thick hair and took a deep breath, holding in the scream that I desperately wanted to release. No one even knew that I had bought a house in the residential district – not a single soul other than the real estate company and the goblins that I'd had ward the place. That was supposed to be secret and someone had already tried to break in.

"This can't be a coincidence… but…" cold fear gripped my heart as dark red hair and hard, chiseled face flashed in my mind, "Father…"

Who else would've been able to find my home so quickly, if not for a man that commanded professional spies? I knew that I shouldn't have gotten used to the silence and the distance, but I thought that I would have more time. If he could find my new house, chances were that he knew I was at Hogwarts.

"That son of a…" I growled, annoyed and thoroughly wound up.

With a vicious snarl, I stormed into my bathroom and waved my hand, wandlessly starting the shower before stripping out of my pajamas. I had already lost so much time between searching for the Tower and now this business with the owl and Gnarlkin's letter. I would have to hurry if I wanted to make it down to the Great Hall with enough time for breakfast.

"What a wonderful start to my first day of class," I muttered sarcastically, stepping into the shower and sliding the glass door shut.

As soon as the scalding hot water cascaded down my body, I felt myself relax. I leaned my head back against the black marble wall as the steam rose around me, heating up my cold body. My mind was still racing but I couldn't give this new information all of my attention, not just yet. I had to start off on the right foot in my lessons, and now was not the time to let anything distract me.

My mother and her parents had all been top students at Hogwarts; prefects – Head Boy and Girls. I would not be the family disappointment.

Fingering the seven-point pendant, I brought it up to my lips and kissed the surface once, feeling a slight tingle of magic. Showering quickly, I used the time to slip behind my mental barriers and clear my mind, working through the anxiety and pushing the sleepiness to the back of my mind for now. I used a spell to dry instead of air-drying and hurriedly wrapped myself in one of those delightfully fluffy towels, rushing back into the bedroom.

I froze – immediately noticing the absence of the dead owl and the blood and feathers. The envelope and letter were cleaned of blood and set neatly on the bedside table. Glancing over at Nova, she seemed to shrug her shoulders.

"Must've been an elf," I said to myself, before throwing open the doors to my walk-in. I whistled appreciatively – all of my things in my trunk had been properly put away in the right places. "Those elves work fast."

Dressing quickly, I used a spell that tied my blood red hair back into a long braid, tied off with an ivory ribbon; I left a few soft curls to frame my face. Slinging my school bag over my shoulder, I patted Nova's head on the way to the door.

"Don't get into too much trouble, Nova – and do try not to scare anybody half to death, okay?" I said, laughing at her innocent expression.

It wasn't until I had exited through Isavéla's portrait and bid her goodbye that I realized I felt the wiggling knots of nervousness in my gut. Turning the corner out into the main corridor, I went through a mental checklist to make sure that I had everything I'd need for the day. I was nearing the more active corridors of the seventh floor and paused…listening to ensure the coast was clear before I slipped into the corridor that led towards the main staircase.

Once on the moving stairs, I was quickly surrounded by hundreds of other students on their way down to breakfast and I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing I couldn't be too far behind schedule. Rather than push the loud chatter back into a dull buzz, I embraced it and allowed it to distract me from my own nerves.

"Gift and a curse…" I muttered to myself, shaking my head as I picked up on more than a few conversations that were being had about me.

There were more male voices – usually talking to other guys…wondering if I was easy – in awe at my beauty and grace – and of course, the verbal sexualizing of my body. There were also plenty of female voices, quietly voicing their own speculations…their envy and appreciation…their curiosity. In the midst of it all – and worst of all – was the story of my mother's very gruesome and tragic death. They gossiped about the mysteries surrounding my family… about the standing and power the House of Grey commanded… the well-known wealth that we held.

Before I even made it to the first floor they'd built up some sort of superhuman image of me.

I paused and hesitated outside of the Great Hall, taking a moment to collect myself.

"Your cat's a bloody menace," was Lavender Brown's grumpy greeting, shattering my thoughts as she swept past me into the Great Hall.

"Oh don't mind her, Lav's not a morning person," said Parvati Patil, smiling and shaking her head at her best friend's antics. "Nice to official meet you, I'm Parvati."

We shook hands. "Gia, nice to meet you, and Lavender too. Tell her I'm sorry about Nova, she's most certainly a menace and very proud of the fact," I said, rolling my eyes. "She acts tough but she's just a little pussy."

Behind me, I heard the sound of one person choking and gasping, and another person outright laughing. Turning my head, Hermione was coughing and red-faced, while a rather beautiful girl of some Asian descent smiled broadly. From the red and gold tie, I assumed that this was Elizabeth Moon, the other fourth year Gryffindor.

"Finally, a roommate with a sense of humor," Elizabeth said, smirking ever so slightly. Her grin widened at Parvati's "I heard that!" as she headed into the Hall.

"Elizabeth Moon, welcome to Gryffindor."

"Gia Grey, thank you very much," I said, shaking her hand.

I couldn't help but stare.

Her light pecan-brown skin was incredibly smooth and soft-looking; her slanted eyes were dark and alluring, framed by thick lashes; and thick, straight black hair came down to her waist. There was something very intriguing about this girl…Elizabeth and I couldn't tear my eyes away as I watched her breeze into the Great Hall. She moved with such an easy grace I found myself envious, remembering the many years and punishments it had taken my trainers to instill that kind of fluidity in me. We were about the same size, same small stature and toned frame – she was clearly in great physical shape, but it was her magic and energy that kept my interest. She was calm and gentle in her movements, but something about her felt innately dangerous. I didn't sense any maliciousness or threat from her, but I wouldn't put it past her to wipe the floor with a witch or two if she had to.

Though the Hall was filling quickly, the Gryffindor Table was still about half-empty when we walked in. The noise and chatter seem to lull for a full second as we arrived and then returned full force; doing my best to ignore this, I trailed after Hermione down to the center, the same places where we'd sat the night before. A full breakfast spread appeared up and down the table, and it was all I could do not to simply throw my face into the nearest platter of sizzling bacon.

I said nothing as I set about piling my plate high with as much meat as I could possible reach, not even thanking Neville as he numbly handed me a platter of pork sausages, never mind the fact that I already had two different kinds on my plate already – it was more of a meat platter at that point, rather than a breakfast. Squeezing potatoes, eggs, toast, and pancakes around the edges, I filled two goblets – one with coffee and the other with plain water, before digging in.

There was a noticeable silence at the Gryffindor Table as they watched on in shock and amazement, fascinated as I completely decimated the food before me.

"Umm…Gia –"

"What?" I snarled, softening as Neville flinched and turned away.

Swallowing another mouthful of sausage, I washed it down with the water and wiped my mouth. "That's rude you know!" I snapped, scaring the remaining spectators into dutifully eyeing their own plates, peering at me in their peripheral. Sighing deeply, I finally turned to Neville and patted his hand, causing his face to pink.

"I'm sorry Neville… I'm just… under a lot of stress right now and I had long night," I said softly, smiling apologetically.

"Don't – don't worry about it, G-Gia," Neville stammered, hesitating before moving the hand I had touched to finish his breakfast.

Hermione had begun to hum to herself, content with allowing me to get a grip on myself, and I couldn't help but ease into the soft sounds.

"It is way too early to be that happy, Hermione," I joked finally, shaking my head as I stirred my coffee and took a reviving sip, shivering as it warmed my stomach from within.

"I'm just excited to jump into our classes. I'm hoping we learn some really interesting this year," she gushed, pulling a thick book from her bag and propping it up against a heavy milk jug. She glanced over at me, her warm brown eyes so open and caring. "And don't worry about anything, okay? We've all been through the first day jitters, but you'll do just fine."

I could've kissed the girl right then, but instead, returned to eating.

As small as I was, my favorite house-elf, Prim, had always joked that I'd eat us all into poverty. Thinking about Prim made me think about the home I had left behind…and then brought my mind back around to the news Gnarlkin had brought to my attention earlier. The reminder of the gruesome murder of his owl sent me back to dutifully and viciously tearing into my pancakes until my plate was clean, and both goblets had been drained and refilled twice. When I felt as though I had satisfied my hunger enough to ignore the faint lingering in my stomach, I apologized again to my companions sitting on either side of me.

Perhaps sensing the darkening of my mood again, Hermione remained with her head in her book, absently eating her own admittedly health-conscious breakfast. The silence was broken only as Professor McGonagall strode by, handing out schedules.

"Nice to see that _some_ of my House are prepared for class," McGonagall said approvingly, her nose lifting as she scanned the rest of the still slowly-filling table.

"Good morning Professor," Hermione and I chimed respectfully. Her expression softened.

"Good morning ladies. I'm expecting great things from you, Miss Grey," she said suddenly, "Your mother was a fine witch and I'll accept nothing less from her daughter."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied seriously. I had every intention of making my mother proud in any way that I could.

"Miss Granger, do continue to make our House proud," she said, before she touched the girl's shoulder and quickly moved along as Hermione positively beamed.

"What have we got Monday mornings?" I asked, and then drank deeply from my huge mug as Hermione consulted the schedules.

"Herbology, with the Hufflepuffs."

At the mention of the badger's House, I glanced over my shoulder and scanned the Hufflepuff table until my eyes rested on a tall, broad-shouldered boy with wavy brown hair. He was facing the Gryffindor Table and must've felt my eyes on him because he paused in his clearly amusing conversation and met my gaze. A brilliant smile lit up his face as he recognized me and my spirit soared. Cedric Diggory raised a hand to wave and nearly the entire Hufflepuff table had turned to crane their necks and see whom he was greeting. As I raised my own hand to return the wave, a new burst of excited whispers swept the Hall.

Huffing, I turned back to our table as Hermione's two best friends came stumbling sleepily down the table and plopped down across from us, robes wrinkled and hairs still flying every which way.

"Morning Mione," both boys greeted fondly.

"Good morning Gia," Harry added, before immediately joining Ron in piling everything within reach onto their plates.

"Good morning boys. What's after Herbology?"

As Hermione studied the schedule, Ron grunted out what was supposed to be a greeting, but his mouth was so thick with half-chewed food that it was the most he could manage. "After Herbology, we've got a break and then Care of Magical Creatures…" she made a pained expression.

"What's wrong with Care of Magical Creatures?" Harry asked around a mouthful of toast. I raised an eyebrow and he flushed, washing down the lump with a gulp of pumpkin juice. "We love having class with Hagrid."

"Except the part where we're almost burned, frozen, bitten, scratched, clawed, maimed, or eaten by one of his little _pets,_" Ron added, finally coming up for air from his food.

"Excuse me?" I snapped, mildly alarmed.

"He did say 'almost'," said Harry, laughing even harder at my expression. "Well, no one's been injured too badly yet."

"I suppose Malfoy's run in with Buckbeak last year didn't count?" Ron seemed to grin darkly at the memory.

Wait…

Malfoy?

"Speaking of Malfoy," Hermione interrupted, "Hagrid's class is with the Slytherins."

Harry and Ron groaned.

Ah shit…

I took a deep breath.

Slytherins… Malfoy – that meant Draco…

And Draco meant trouble…

"Who thought it would be a good idea to put us with those…snakes, within range of dangerous, magical creatures?" Ron growled, stabbing his pancake as if it had personally offended him.

"They're begging for an _accident_ to happen," Harry added, nodding darkly.

"Oh come on," I said, only a little less shakily than I felt, "They can't all be that bad, right?"

Hermione laughed humorlessly. Harry and Neville looked at me as though I'd grown a second head.

"I thought you'd be all for house unity, Hermione?" Ron asked around a mouthful of his ravaged pancakes.

Hermione glared at her plate. "I am…but I'm not going to sit through another year of being harassed by them either. One more 'mudblood' out of Malfoy and he's going to get a lot worse than bloody nose," she seemed to smile at the memory.

"No way," I choked, looking from Hermione to the boys and back again. "You – Hermione Granger – punched Lucius Malfoy's kid in the nose?"

"It was bloody brilliant," said Ron fervently.

"And well-deserved," Harry added.

"When?" I gasped, suddenly feeling rather hot. "And _why_?"

The trio shared a long look, one borne through years of solid friendship and clearly, misadventure. "That's a long story for another time," Harry said finally.

I decided to respect it and dropped the subject.

"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned suddenly, scanning over his own schedule. Ron grunted, clearly annoyed.

"I don't know why you didn't drop the class last year when I did," lectured Hermione, "Then you wouldn't have to sit through a different bogus prediction of your tragic death each class."

"Wait – what?" I coughed, having nearly snorted coffee through my nose. "The professor does _what_?"

Harry groaned, and he and Ron launched into a full detailed account of Professor Trelawney's class. In the end, I realized that even with the gifts bestowed upon my mother's bloodline, I had dodged a bullet by avoiding that class.

"Hermione's right, though. Unless you have Seer's blood, which I highly doubt because true Seers are very rare, you wouldn't get anything out of that class," an explanation that should've been given to any student considering taking Divination. "Divination can't be taught. Either you have the gift or you don't – and since I'm assuming that you don't, I would suggest dropping or swapping the class."

"Swap it for what? Muggle Studies?" Harry scowled. "I grew up with muggles – I think I already know enough about them, thanks."

"Wait – you didn't grow up…here? In this world?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

I suppose that would explain his lack of arrogance or the air of a pureblood elitist, if he was raised away from the spotlight. I had heard that there was a lot of mystery surrounding Harry's childhood following the war, but I never could've guessed that this was why. Harry seemed distinctly uncomfortable at the mention of his family, and judging from the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces, it was clearly quite personal.

"How about you talk to McGonagall about dropping the class?" I redirected the conversation; Merlin knows there were stories about my family that I'd rather not tell.

"But that'll leave him with two empty class periods!" Hermione gasped, quite appalled at the thought of wasted learning time.

"You could do what I did and submit a request for a self-study period," I shrugged, cleaning the last of my plate. "It still counts as a class and grade, and I can study whatever subject I'd like as long as I can demonstrate and prove that I've actually been studying something relevant – trust me, she'll check."

This information was met with raised eyebrows.

"I – I never knew that was an option," Hermione said quietly.

"I didn't either, at first – it's not mentioned in the most recent copies of _A History, Hogwarts_ –"

"Oh not you too!" Ron groaned, very maturely sticking his tongue out at Hermione's smug face. "Hermione's always going on and on about that bloody book."

"You'd be surprised by how much relevant information is in that bloody book – as you called it," I said simply, shrugging my shoulders. "But as I was saying, I didn't know self-study was an option either, not until I got my letter and saw what electives were available. I'd corresponded with the headmaster and though he informed me that self-study was usually restricted to sixth and seventh years who were preparing for a specific career, he eventually approved my request."

"What do you study, then?" Harry asked as Ron and Hermione fell into what sounded like a long-standing argument on something or the other.

"I use the time to continue my training," I said vaguely. Harry's expression silently asked for elaboration. "Without going into too much details, my family's traditions means that each child is individually trained as soon as they begin walking and showing signs of magic."

"Trained in what, though?" he prompted, hardly glancing over at his two friends.

"Different things, depending on where the child's natural abilities lie, but I try to stay diverse – physical training, hand to hand, weapons training, and of course, working on controlling my own magic," I explained further.

"Wow," Harry whistled, "All of that sounds so cool. I suppose I probably could use all the training I could get, what with –" he cut himself off and looked down.

"Voldemort?" I whispered, watching as his eyes shot to mine. There was surprise there, and even a fair bit of suspicion. "Oh come off it, I'm not completely dim, nor am I blind. I was at the World Cup too – I just didn't stay once the drama started."

"You were better off, trust me," Harry huffed, "But you're right. I can't continue on the way that I have. I think I'll talk to McGonagall later."

There was a sudden rustling noise above us, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, I looked up, but there was no sign of my black owl, Ario, among the mass of brown and gray. The owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed.

A large tawny owl soared down to Neville and deposited a parcel into his lap. Neville seemed like the type that almost always forgot to pack something. On the other side of the Hall, the topic of our earlier conversation, Draco Malfoy, had an eagle owl land on his shoulder, carrying what looked like a supply of sweets and cakes from home.

The sight of Draco's too familiar head of silver-blond hair, along with the forceful reminder of my mishap earlier that morning, and suddenly I was feeling very overwhelmed.

Gripping my bag, I stood up abruptly, startling the four seated around me. "I – err – need some air. I'll – I'll see you guys outside for class."

Without waiting for a response, I speed-walked with as much dignity as possible, sweeping through the doors and nearly breaking into a run once I'd reached the entrance hall.

"Gia – Giavana!"

My blood froze.

Pausing, I dreaded turning around and coming face to face with my oldest and most complicated childhood friend. But sure enough, as I forced myself to slowly turn back towards the way I'd come, Draco came hurrying down the stone steps to me. Without words, he pulled me into a tight hug.

To say that I was surprised and confused was an understatement.

Before I could fully register the embrace, he pulled back and grasped my forearms, staring me directly in the eye – golden amber to cold grey.

"Gia…" he said, and I trembled at the raw desperation in his voice, "I – I almost bowled over last night when – when I saw you walk in with the first years. I haven't seen – You never told me –" his words seemed to fail him, and it was all I could do to simply keep my suddenly heavy body upright.

"Please… I know you have no reason to – to stand her and listen to what I have to say… especially with – with how we left things the last time I saw you…"

I could've done without the reminder of our dramatic and heartbreaking good-bye a few years ago.

"…but I don't know what else to do."

I was completely beyond words. My head felt fuzzy and my heart pounded so harshly in my chest, I was sure that Draco could hear it as loudly as I could. When I couldn't form words, Draco sighed, the pads of his thumbs stroking the skin on my arms.

"Look…it's far too much to explain right now," we both flinched as the bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast, "but – just meet me in here twenty minutes after dinner ends – tonight."

He glanced over his shoulder as the sounds of the students leaving the Great Hall reached us.

"Please Gia, you're my – my last hope. If you don't show up…I'll know that you want nothing to do with me ever again."

"Malfoy, what the hell are you doing? Let go of her!" Ron shouted from the top of the staircase.

He, along with Harry and Hermione, all had their wands out and were glaring daggers at the blonde boy. He looked back at me once more before dropping my arms, that familiar icy demeanor went back up full force. Draco turned back towards the stairs and swept past the trio with nothing more than a look of disgust and an upturned nose, as if they were beneath him.

"Gia – Gia, are you okay?" Harry asked quickly, running down the stairs and standing in front of me. "What did Malfoy do to you? You're all pale – and you're shaking.

I stared at the strangely unfamiliar black-haired boy in front of me, wondering what had caused such distress on his face, but then my eyes rolled up and my world went black.

"...that blonde ponce!"

"…shut up, Ronald!"

"...swear by Merlin, if you two wake her up!"

"The three of you will cease this noise or I'll throw you out!"

Attempting to open my eyes and tear a new one into all involved for causing this massive headache, I was nearly blinded by bright white light. Groaning, I clenched my eyes shut and rolled over, pressing my face into a stiff pillow that smelled like a Healer's office. The four voices that had been arguing over my head fell silent at once, but I felt five, not four, pairs of eyes on me. Turning my head slightly and inhaling deeply, I recognized four of the scents: Harry, Hermione, Ron…and Dumbledore. The fifth scent, which I assumed belonged to the stern woman that had threatened to kick the trio out, was completely foreign to me.

"I've dimmed the lights miss, now could you please turn over so that I may run some diagnostic spells over you?" the woman's voice asked, more calmly and patient this time.

Slowly, I rolled onto my back and upon noticing the less intense light overhead, I peeked open my eyes and pushed myself into sitting position, leaning back on the mountain of pillows behind me.

_White._

White walls.

White ceiling.

White linen on the beds.

The smell of healing potions and disinfectant was much more pronounced now that I didn't have my nose pressed into a pillow, and I deduced that I must be in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. Looking around, Harry sat in a chair on the left side of my bed. Dumbledore was perched on the edge of the bed behind Harry, and to my right, Hermione and Ron had taken up position in two chairs beside me. The woman, who was now obviously the matron of the Wing, stood beside my pillow. I tensed as the witch pointed her wand at me, but allowed her to mutter standard Healer spells over me, causing various parts of my body to glow different colors. Some were familiar – like the gold that matched my eyes but one was completely unknown to me – the swirling black – and apparently to the matron as well, judging by the creasing of her forehead.

"I am Madam Pomfrey, dear," the woman said when she'd finished, "the resident Healer here at Hogwarts. Now, do you mind answering a few questions so that I can determine if your head injury has damaged your memory?"

"Head – injury?" I gasped out, my hands automatically coming up to my head, only to come in contact with a white bandage wrapped around it. "How –?"

"You mean you don't remember what happened?" Hermione asked, concern clear in her cinnamon eyes.

"No, would someone please feel free to clue me in," I said impatiently.

Waking up in the Hospital Wing with a head injury that I didn't even remember acquiring wasn't exactly going a long way in making me a happy camper.

"Please answer Madam Pomfrey's questions first, my dear, and then you shall have your explanation," said Dumbledore calmly, his eyes twinkling as bright as ever.

As I met his gaze, a mental alarm sounded and I nearly snarled at the unknown threat. Making the connection, I broke eye contact with the old man and turned back to Madam Pomfrey, my face not betraying the outrage that flooded through me.

"Fine," I bit out.

"What is your full name?" Madam Pomfrey asked calmly, holding a clipboard with her quill poised over it.

"Giavana Aria Grey," a short answer.

"Date of birth?"

"December 21st, 1979."

Only someone with my sensitive hearing would've picked up on the skipped heartbeat in the chest of Dumbledore as I announced my birthday. The wizard was ancient – it was very possible that he knew the significance of the winter solstice, even if it wasn't as wildly celebrated in Britain.

"Name of both parents?"

I paused.

"Ava Annalise Grey, nee Wilde…Ángel Emilio Grey."

Curiously, at the mention of my father's name, Dumbledore's heart positively raced. But there was no way that even the great Albus Dumbledore knew of my father and his businesses.

"Alright very good, you're memory seems to be fine if you can remember those basic details," Madam Pomfrey decided.

"Now, can someone please tell me how I ended up in here with a head injury?" I said quickly, looking around at the trio.

"Well…" Harry began uneasily.

"We saw Malfoy do something to you, and when he left, you passed out and hit your head on one of the steps. Blood everywhere," said Ron bluntly.

Hermione cuffed Ron on the back of the head, and both she and Harry gave him such venomous looks he didn't even protest. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Please excuse Ron, Gia," Hermione said gently, shooting Ron another annoyed look. "What he means to say is that, when the owls arrived this morning to deliver the post, you hurried out of the Great Hall, telling us that you needed air. Do you remember that?"

Concentrating on digging through my own mental barriers, the image Hermione described became clear, but also brought back the events of early this morning as well. I had to remember to send Gnarlkin an apology letter. But in response to Hermione, I nodded slowly, my head still pounding.

"We were worried about you," Harry continued, "but we wanted to give you space, you know? You said you were really stressed and we didn't want to further overwhelm you. But when the bell rang at the end of breakfast, we found you in the entrance hall and…"

"I'm not saying Malfoy did anything," Hermione said quickly, her eyes flicking to Dumbledore and back to me, "but…it did look suspicious, Gia. He was holding your arms, and you looked really pale. When he let go and left, Harry walked up to you and asked you if you were alright. You had this rather confused look on your face, and then – then your eyes rolled up into your head and you passed out." She took a deep breath, and I knew she was shaken. I could smell the residue of horror and shock on her. "Oh Gia…you did hit your head on the ground. None of us expected you to pass out, so we didn't react fast enough to catch you. It was horrible. There was – was so much – blood…" she broke off and hurried to wipe the tears glistening in her eyes.

I said nothing as I tried to remember all of this.

Owls…

Draco…

Fainting…

Blood…

Finally, the full weight of the memory dropped into my head rather painfully. I gasped and clutched my head, curling forward. All five people abruptly took steps toward me, and I felt my fangs slip out in defense. "Stop!" I growled, clamping my eyes shut before the glow could begin. "Everybody back up and give me a minute."

I heard their compliance, and now all five of their heartbeats were quickening, the sound doing nothing to help push down the sudden thirst that ravaged my throat. After several silent minutes, I felt a small body drop into my lap and recognized Nova's kitten form as she nuzzled her head into my hands. With her presence, I was able to force down the bloodlust enough to retract my fangs and keep my eyes from blinding those around me. When I felt as though I had myself under control, I straightened up again and ignored the varying expressions on their faces.

"She was already waiting at the door by the time we'd brought you up," Harry said quietly, staring curiously at my familiar. "Almost refused to let anyone near you until Madam Pomfrey insisted that she had to check over you."

The older woman huffed, glaring at the cat, who met her gaze coldly, her small tail flicking back and forth. "Cut it out," I muttered, nudging Nova's small form.

"How long have I been out of it?" I asked suddenly.

"You missed the entire day Gia, it's the middle of dinner now," said Hermione tentatively.

"What?" I exclaimed. "I missed my first lessons? I'm already behind – oh, now I'll have to catch up! I –"

"Miss Grey, please calm yourself," Dumbledore said calmly, the barest hint of authority in his tone. "I have already spoken with Professors Sprout and Hagrid, and both have agreed to excuse you, with no effect on your grade at all."

In…and out…

I'd had only been in the castle for two days and I was already falling apart. What did that mean for the rest of the year?

"Thank you professor," I said, gratefully. Then, I looked around at the trio. "You three missed dinner to come sit with me?"

"Well yeah…" Harry said, as if it should've been obvious. "We had to attend class, but we've been up here during every break and even had lunch up here, in case you woke up."

To say that I was touched…

My stomach suddenly roared, and my cheeks flushed. At that moment, Dumbledore rose from his perch. "I shall send one of the castle elves with dinner," he said decisively, walking around my bed towards the door. "If Madam Pomfrey permits it, Miss Grey, I would like you to meet me in my office when you are finished."

Confused and wary, I nodded. "Yes sir, and thank you again, sir."

"Think nothing of it, my dear. Feel better." And with that, he swept out of the Hospital Wing and closed the doors behind him.

"After dinner, you may go meet the Headmaster, and you may return to your dormitory. You do show signs of high levels of stress, dear, so take it easy from now on," advised Madam Pomfrey as she carefully removed the bandage from around my head and felt around to make sure I was completely healed. "I would, however, like you to report here tomorrow morning before breakfast so that I can check you over – just to be sure. Head wounds are tricky beasts."

"Yes ma'am."

As Madam Pomfrey disappeared into her office, an unfamiliar house-elf popped onto my bed, carrying a large tray with four plates filled with steaming food, and four goblets filled with pumpkin juice.

"Thank you," I said softly, smiling at the little elf. She blushed and bowed low, before popping away.

As we each grabbed a plate and goblet, I looked around. "So, what else have I missed today, besides lessons?"

The loaded glance exchanged between the trio told me that I'd missed quite a bit.

"Well?" I prompted after a minute of silence, absently feeding Nova a bit of beef from my plate.

About seven minutes and a long story later, I was left to ponder this new development in my contradicting thoughts over Draco. It sounded like Lucius Malfoy's behavior, not the arrogant but sweet boy I'd grown up with. I kept in mind that, despite what the trio told me, Draco had come to me with a desperate plea for help.

"And you say Moody turned him into a ferret?" I pushed, trying to picture it.

Draco's pride was one of his biggest faults, and I knew that he must've been humiliated. My heart sank for the boy, and as dinner ended, I remembered that I was supposed to meet him in the entrance hall. Hopefully, the meeting with the headmaster wouldn't take long.

"Do any of you know where Dumbledore's office is?" I asked as I slid off the bed and into my low boots. I wrapped my cloak tightly around me as a chill crept up my body.

"Yeah, we'll walk you," Harry offered, looking to Hermione and Ron for confirmation. When the two of them nodded, we headed toward the door.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey!" I called towards the door to her office, before the four of us left and headed towards the main staircase, Nova bounding happily beside me. As we journeyed up to Dumbledore's office, Harry, Ron, and Hermione described both classes, including Draco's behavior during Care of Magical Creatures.

"Here we are," Harry said, as we stopped in front of a stone gargoyle on the third floor. "Though he'll only move aside if you've got the right password."

Rolling my eyes, I stepped toward the gargoyle and peered at its unmoving eyes. "Err – Giavana Grey, here by request of the Headmaster?"

A pause…and then the gargoyle leapt to the side, revealing a spiraling staircase.

"Wow, I didn't know I could just announce myself, would've saved a load of bloody time..." Harry grumbled, before shaking his head. "Do you want us to wait for you?"

"No," I said quickly, backtracking at Harry's taken aback expression, "I mean, I don't know how long this'll take and I wouldn't want you caught out after curfew. Go on to bed."

"Only if you're sure…" Hermione said slowly.

"I'll be fine, go on," I said, playfully shooing them along. "Besides, I've got Nova to protect me."

Said kitten snapped to attention, purring under the adoring eyes of my companion.

The three of them bid me goodnight before turning and heading in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower. As I stepped onto the first step, the staircase jerked to life and began its slow ascent upwards.

A short ride later and I was brought to stop outside of a simple wooden door. . As I raised my hand to knock, I heard Dumbledore's voice tell me to come in. Figuring that he had monitoring wards put up to alert him to visitors, I placed my hand on the doorknob, turned it, and stepped into the Headmaster's office for the first time.

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of rich colors and odd little noises. A number of unfamiliar silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were pretending to snooze in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tainted wizard's hat – the Sorting Hat.

"…_cunning is always there when you need it…"_

Its words during my Sorting reverberated in my head, but my attention was captured by the magnificent bird standing on a polished wooden perch. The feathers on its body were crimson and its golden tail was as long as a peacock's. Its claws and beak were gleaming gold and its eyes were black. Its scarlet body feathers glowed faintly in the dimmed lighting of Dumbledore's office and as I stepped further inside, it made eye contact with me. Mesmerized, I slowly walked forward even as Nova yowled cautiously from my right flank. The moment I'd stepped within five feet of the bird, gentle warmth washed over my cold skin, filling me from the inside out.

On impulse, I cautiously reached out and stroked its surprisingly warm feathers that felt softer than the finest silk. As soon as my skin touched its feathers, the most euphoric peacefulness overcame me and soon, all of my worries that had plagued me these past few days faded away and I felt as though my very soul had been uplifted.

"I must say I'm astounded Miss Grey," a voice from behind said calmly.

Reluctantly, I dragged my eyes away from the beautiful bird to look at the tall figure seated at the enormous desk – Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Is this really a phoenix, sir?" I said, amazement coloring my voice.

"Yes indeed he is, Miss Grey. Fawkes has been my familiar for many, many years now. And it's very rare for him to allow a stranger to come close to him, let alone pet him as you have. It usually shows that that person is pure of heart," said Dumbledore fondly, his eyes twinkling bright as ever.

"Wow," I breathed. "I know they're incredibly rare and powerful, but to have one choose you as its companion is simply amazing. He's a beautiful creature, sir, truly."

Fawkes seemed to appreciate my compliments and trilled softly, renewing that euphoric peacefulness that I had felt only minutes ago. Stroking his feathers a few seconds more, I reluctantly stepped away from him, sighing sadly as I no longer felt the peacefulness and warmth.

"Please my dear, take a seat. Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered, holding out a small crystal bowl filled with round, yellow candies. Slightly amused and wary, I politely declined and took the offered seat, allowing Nova to leap into her customary spot in my lap.

"May I ask why you wanted to meet with me, sir?" I said immediately, no point in beating around the bush.

"Yes, a few points of interest that I would like to discuss with you, Miss Grey." He said calmly, his hands neatly folded and resting on top of his desk. "First, it has come to my attention that you did not sleep in your House dormitory last night after the feast."

Ah, so this was an interrogation. Wonderful.

Pulling up my mental barriers full force, I leaned back in my seat and gracefully crossed one leg over the other, careful not to send Nova to the floor. "You are correct sir, I did not," I said calmly, deliberately being vague.

Dumbledore's eyebrow twitched – perhaps he had expected me to start confessing immediately.

Not a chance, old man.

"Would you care to explain where you were then, Miss Grey? You should know that it is against the rules here to be outside of your common room after curfew."

"Professor," I said, shifting gears, "how well do you know the history of this fine castle?"

Outwardly, Dumbledore showed no sign that he was caught off guard by my seemingly random question, but I felt the change in his pulse. "I know the history of Hogwarts quite thoroughly, Miss Grey. I have been Headmaster for a very long time, and Transfiguration professor before that."

"Very well, do you know the story of how this castle came to be built?" I continued.

"Miss Grey, I assure you I am well aware of the story of the Founders. Where is this line of questioning leading to?" Dumbledore asked, his grandfatherly mask never wavering.

"Then you must know that my ancestor, Calius Grey, not only went to battle with his own personal army at the request of the Founders, but also helped fund the construction of this very castle after helping them secure a clear victory against dark forces. Calius Grey asked for only one thing in return for his manpower and his gold, do you know what that request was?" I asked, resisting the urge to grin like the cat that got the canary.

"A hidden place within the castle that would house only his descendants during their time at Hogwarts." Dumbledore answered easily. "But hundreds of highly skilled witches and wizards have scoured this entire castle, searching for such a place and it has never been found."

Hmm…perhaps I didn't need to put up wards after all.

"Professor, just because something can't be found, doesn't mean it isn't there. But, to put your mind at ease, I am, in fact, residing in that place and will continue to do so as long as I am a Hogwarts student. It is, after all, my right by birth." I said, my lip twitching as I repeated Isavéla's passionate words back to him. "You said you had several points of interest sir, may I ask what the others are?"

"It is getting late my dear, and you should be resting. However, I would like to ask you one last question before I bid you adieu," Dumbledore said simply.

"Very well, sir."

"I have also become aware that you have taken over as Head and Lady of House Grey," he began, and I started, playing it off as Nova rolled around in my lap, finding a comfortable spot. "If it isn't too personal, might I ask what became of your father?"

Whatever I had been expecting him to ask, it certainly wasn't about my father.

"Due to unavoidable circumstances, it was decided that I would take over my mother's dormant family line," I said vaguely but firmly, cutting off the invitation for further questioning.

Clearly unsatisfied but able to expertly hide the face, Dumbledore relaxed and leaned back into his high-backed chair. "Very well, Miss Grey. Do head straight to your…residence and get some rest, and goodnight to you," his eyes twinkling once more.

"Goodnight to you as well, sir. Nova, up."

Immediately, my familiar leapt from my lap and, after eyeing Dumbledore through narrowed yellow eyes, she led the way to the door. Dropping into a quick, respectful curtsy, I bowed my head to the headmaster and quickly left his office. Once on the main staircase, I pulled out my wand and muttered several spells.

"That wrinkly old son of a bitch!" I growled, as my spells revealed that Dumbledore had somehow put tracking spells on me. "Fine, two can play at that game." With a dark grin, I conjured a cat and transferred the tracking spells onto it, before compelling it to head straight to the Gryffindor Tower. Checking myself over one more time, I checked the time and cursed.

It had already been almost forty minutes since dinner ended.

Gathering my surroundings, I hurried back down the stairs on silent feet with Nova on my heels, slipping into the shadows as I stepped out into the corridor. The trip down to the entrance hall was a quick and quiet one, and it was only as I tiptoed the open doors to the Great Hall that I paused. It was quite a difference to see the Great Hall at night, illuminated not by thousands of candles, but by moonlight. It was almost mesmerizing, to see the grand space bathed under the moon but I shook off the thought and nearly ran to the entrance hall. Pausing at the top of the staircase, I looked around but saw nothing.

"Damn…" I sighed, clenching my fist as Draco was nowhere in sight.

Even with the disastrous way we'd left off after my mother's funeral, I had to know what had caused this drastic change in Draco's personality and behavior. This had probably been my last chance. Inhaling deeply, his scent was strong here and I figured that he must've left only moments ago.

"He probably thinks I hate him…" I muttered, mentally berating myself for allowing my control over things to slip so quickly.

"I did...until I saw you show up a few moments ago," a quiet whisper reached me, and Draco stepped out from behind a suit of armor. "I thought…you weren't going to show up."

His silver-blonde hair nearly glowed in the darkness of the entrance hall, and he was still dressed in his school uniform. Hands in his pockets, he walked closer to me, and as we met at the base of the stairs, I could more clearly the wide range of emotions in his eyes.

It still amazed me how much he'd physically changed in only a few years and it took longer than I would've liked to stop staring and drinking in his features.

"Of course I was going to show up, Draco. I had to find out why you're suddenly acting like your father's evil twin," I said quietly, unaccusingly.

Shame written all over his face, Draco looked down.

"You don't understand, Gia." He whispered, not looking at me.

Slowly, I closed the distance between us and gently lifted his chin until he was forced to look me in the eye. "Then help me understand Dray, because this isn't the friend that I used to know."

Draco pulled his face out of my hand, and his eyes flared angrily. "That little boy is gone, Giavana, and he's never coming back. He can't…" his voice softened again and he shook his head. "Not after…"

I heard Draco take a deep shuddering breath, and suddenly pulled the taller boy to me, wrapping my arms firmly around his waist. He stiffened. "After what, Dray? You know you can tell me anything."

Slowly, very slowly, he brought his arms up and held onto me as if he was a drowning man, and I was his lifejacket. "You remember how father was when we were kids…" he began, and I shuddered remembering some of Malfoy Sr.'s worst moments. "Well, after you disappeared, he got worse. A lot worse. Hell couldn't even begin to describe what it was like being trapped in the manor with him, and even Mother could no longer protect me."

I held him tighter as his body began trembling. "The things he said and did to us…I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, Gia. I felt so weak and helpless… He did…horrible – terrifying things to us – put us under the C-Cruciatus Curse until I could hardly breathe. He made mother watch – bound her to a chair just to listen to us both scream for each other."

I couldn't contain my horror, and now, both of our heartbeats thundered in my ears. "Draco…"

"Merlin…" his eyes were far away as I leaned back and looked at him fully. "She was screaming so loud. I – I was supposed to have a little sister, Gia. But – after the torture –"

His voice broke but I didn't need to hear the words to put two and two together.

"I wanted to protect her – I tried, but it only got worse. No matter what… I could never measure up to be the heir he always wanted me to be," said Draco bitterly. "I was never cold enough – strong enough. I had questioned his superiority complex too many times, and he lectured me on all the ways muggles and muggleborns were beneath us as he beat us…"

"I –" I started before cutting myself off, allowing him to continue though I dreaded hearing the rest.

"It got worse once I came to Hogwarts. I tried so hard to be the best at everything, but I just never could. Granger was always top student in academics, Potter constantly bested me in Quidditch, I couldn't do anything right and Father made sure to punish me for it." Draco took another shuddering breath. "After the World Cup incident, when we'd returned home, he was drunk and so angry. I didn't know what had angered him, but he came and found me in my room, pissed out of his mind. Gia…" his voice sounded like that of a small, broken child and I held him as tightly as I could without hurting him.

"It was the worst he'd ever…"

Hot, wet tears leaked into my hair as Draco's body shook.

"Shh…it's okay Draco…" I said soothingly, rubbing his back as the tears came faster. "You don't have to say anything else."

It was well beyond curfew by then, and we were standing out in the openness of the entrance hall. And wandering ghost or patrolling professor could see us if they passed by. I would not leave Draco alone in his current condition – I couldn't bring myself to if I tried.

Decision made, I wrapped Draco, Nova, and myself in wispy shadows and we disappeared into the darkness.


	4. Tiger of the Sun

**Chapter Four**

Humming happily, I slowly awoke to the sweet scent of vanilla and honey shampoo in my face, and a heavy warm weight along the length of my body. Not liking the feeling of being pinned down, I forced the weight off of me and snuggled back into my comforter, only to jump up, wand at the ready, as I heard a loud bump and a yelp.

Nova's black panther form remained curled up on the rug, but she peeked open one eye before huffing and curling in deeper on herself. Rolling my eyes, I slid out of the bed and slowly crept around the other side – only to see a very confused Draco sprawled rather indignantly on the floor, hair ruffled, still in his school uniform. It took me a long minute to understand why and how he'd even gotten into my room in East Tower, and I flushed, remembering our conversation the previous night.

"Sorry Dray, didn't mean to toss you on the floor," I said, wincing from personal experience with the hard surface.

He allowed me to grasp his hand and pull him smoothly to his feet. "Don't…" he grunted, rubbing his sore bum. "Can't think of a better way to be awakened from my sleep."

"Oh hush," I laughed, but noticed that the moment he actually looked at me, his normally pale face flushed.

Suddenly, he was looking at everything except me, shifting awkwardly until he finally took in our surroundings. His eyes popped in awe and amazement as his head swiveled in every direction. "This can't possibly be how the bloody Gryffindors are living – where are we?"

"This is my humble abode," I said grandly, "known only as East Tower."

"_This_ is the fabled East Tower? I didn't know it was an actual place, only a myth," Draco gasped, looking around with much more interest.

"I was somewhat…led here the first night in the castle," was my calm reply as I perched on the edge of the bed and watched as Draco disappeared into the bathroom, shouting about how amazing it was. I couldn't help but smile as he returned to the bedroom proper.

"The Slytherin common room is nothing like this! No wonder everyone's tried to find this place," Draco muttered.

Reluctant to kill his high spirits, I stood and tapped him on the shoulder. "We can't avoid what we talked about, Dray. That would defeat the purpose of you asking for my help in the first place."

He didn't say anything at first, but allowed me to pull him over to the window, where we curled up on the chaise lounge.

"I know…I know. I just – I don't know what to do. You know pureblood laws as well as I do. I can't break free from him on my own, and I won't leave my mother with him even if I could," was Draco's firm and fearful reply, his eyes never breaking from the window.

I pondered this quietly for a moment.

"Well, the only person who could free you without having to take this to the Wizengamot would have to be the Head of the Black family. The Blacks are much older than the Malfoys, and you're half Black anyway. Who's head of the line?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "That's the thing though, no one knows who it is. My grandmother and grandfather both died years ago, but they were so suspicious and off their rockers, no one knows if they've left a will or not. If they didn't though, then the next in line is – is Sirius Black."

"Okay," I said slowly, my mind working quickly, "I see the problem now. He can't properly take his place as Head because he's serving a life sentence in Azkaban. But didn't he escape last year?" I asked, vaguely remembering seeing Wanted posters on a trip to Diagon Alley.

"Yes, he's practically disappeared off the face of the earth since then," Draco growled.

I stared at Draco for a long time. "Are you sure that even if you find Black, he'll help you?"

Draco shrugged, a casual action that I'd never seen him do. "You know family means everything to most pureblood families, especially the darker ones. Mother says that while Black and Aunt Bella hated each other, she got along with him rather well when they were younger. He may help her if he knew what she was going through."

"Let me see if I understand this correctly…You and your mum have been prisoners in Malfoy Manor – no one to turn to, no way of escape. And so to try and appease your father, you're trying to emulate him, to be the kind of heir he wants you to be, but secretly, you probably hate him and would do anything to get you and your mum out from under his control. And the only way to do that is to somehow find and get the help of one of the most notorious mass murderers in the last century, who has, as you said, disappeared?" I said, taking a deep breath.

Draco stared at me. "Precisely."

I couldn't help but grin. "Then I think we've got ourselves an adventure."

Draco groaned dramatically. "Now I remember that you were always the reason we got in trouble at the Manor, with your crazy games and pranks. Bloody menace…"

"Oh please," I teased, a true smile blooming, "Your childhood would've been bloody boring without me. Unless you've gone and replaced me with Pansy?"

We stared at each other, and both shuddered.

"How is the pug anyway?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Still as psycho and clingy as one might expect," Draco answered. "And probably driving everyone in the dungeons insane trying to figure out where I am."

"So…" I said slowly, unsure of why I felt a faint stab of something in my gut, "are you two…together?"

"Oh Merlin's no!" Draco said, disgusted. I laughed, ignoring the relief I felt. "I'm still holding out on the hope that I can somehow break our marriage contract before it's sealed on my seventeenth birthday."

"June 5th, right?"

"You remembered?" Draco asked, something in his eyes.

"Of course I do," I checked the time and saw that, had I remembered to set an alarm the night before, it would be shrieking right now. "Time to get ready for class."

"I must admit I'm dreading going down to the dungeons, especially after being in such a wonderful place." Draco said longingly. "Pansy's bound to drive me up the wall."

I bit my lip.

"You could prepare up here and head down to the Great Hall after. I doubt she'll make a scene in there," I suggested.

"I would take you up on your offer, as the showers in the dungeons sporadically spout icy water, but all of my things are in my dorm."

"You're such a muggle sometimes," I muttered, giggling at his mortally offended expression.

"Elf!" I called.

Immediately, a house-elf bearing the crest of Hogwarts appeared and bowed low. "Mistress Grey, what might Knoll do for you?" the small male elf asked reverently.

"I didn't know –"

"_A History, Hogwarts,_" I said, wagging my finger at him. "Knoll, could you please, discreetly, enter the Slytherin fourth year boys' dorm and retrieve a fresh uniform for Draco, as well as any personal items he may need to prepare for the day?"

"It is being done." With a bow, Knoll popped away.

"There's like twenty other bedrooms off the common room – you can pick anyone you'd like. I haven't had a chance to properly explore, so I'm not sure exactly how they're set up."

Draco seemed to consider his options. "I'll be in the room next door," he decided.

I nodded and headed into my bathroom, closing the door behind me. Starting the shower, I began to ponder this new situation that I found myself in. Not only had I agreed to help Draco find a man as dangerous as Sirius Black, but I'd also brought someone into my secret home. I doubted Draco would tell anyone, but who knew if Dumbledore couldn't pick it out of his mind during a meal? Speaking of meals, would we even acknowledge each other once we left East Tower?

"Much too early to be thinking this much…" I muttered as I stepped under the steamy spray. About twenty minutes later, I emerged from my bathroom and headed straight into my closet. I was still pondering my precarious friendship with Draco, when I finished dressing and fixing my hair into a braid again. As I grabbed my bag, I hoped that Draco was ready.

Opening the door that led out into the common room, I spread out my senses and picked up on Draco's heartbeat in the room to my left. I knocked loudly on the door before opening it and pausing in amazement. It was nearly identical to my room, but rather than soft greys and whites, it was decorated with deep blues and greens – watery, earthy colors.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Draco said as he emerged from the walk-in closet, dressed in a crisp new uniform. He was fixing his green and silver tie, and I instantly noticed that while his hair was no longer dry from his shower, it wasn't slicked back as it had been the past two days.

"The elf forgot to bring up my hair product." Draco commented, noticing where I was looking.

"No, no," I said, walking forward and reaching up, "I like it better this way. You look much handsomer without that gunk in your beautiful hair. It takes away from its natural color and shine. It's a shame really, most girls would kill for this kind of hair."

I ran my fingers through his silky white-blond strands, it was very slightly waved as it grew and I found myself styling it as I played in it. "There," I finished, smiling.

I followed Draco into the empty walk-in closet and watched his expression as he looked into the mirror, but he obviously approved. "I find that I agree with your assessment."

I rolled my eyes. "Please kill the formal talk Dray, it's just the two of us."

He grimaced. "I know, old habits die hard and all that rot."

Suddenly, I felt somewhat shy as I tried to voice my concerns. "When we – when we leave here Draco, what's going to happen?"

Draco looked down at me and caressed my cheek with such gentleness, making me feel as though I were fine china. "I don't suppose my father would mind if we were friends again, but you run with Potter and his lot…"

"I don't have to hang out with all of you together Draco, I can split my time. And that reminds me, why is there so much animosity between you two?" I asked, as Draco picked up his bag and we headed down to the common room. He looked around as we passed through, clearly still amazed.

"Potter is an attention-seeking spoiled brat that gets everything he wants because Dumbledore and all of the professors here think the sun shines out of his –"

"Alright, alright, I get it." I said, cutting off his sudden rant and stopping him behind Isavéla's portrait. "But maybe if you talked to him Draco, you'd see that he's nothing like that at all."

Draco snorted. "I highly doubt that."

"Who knows? Maybe the two of you are more alike than you think," I muttered, thinking of Harry's unnaturally small frame.

Rather than risk gaining unwanted attention, I shadowed-stepped Draco into a dark corner in the dungeons, making him promise not to say anything about that particular power, and returned up to East Tower, only to walk down again. A tedious process, but I was only trying to preserve my privacy and modesty. If it got out that I don't sleep in my dorm, and Draco was mysteriously out all night, the smaller minded people might put two and two together, and within a few hours, it'd be a rumor that we'd had a secret tryst in a dusty alcove.

I almost laughed at the image but pulled up my emotionless mask as I entered the Great Hall. I started for the Gryffindor Table, when I felt someone gently grab my arm and spin me around. Suddenly, I found myself hugging Draco in the middle of the Great Hall, with shocked silence, wide eyes, and dropped jaws as our audience.

"I lost you as my friend once, I won't lose you again…image be damned," Draco whispered in my ear, before pulling back. "Good morning Gia," he said a bit more loudly, even smiling, something that made quite a few girls swoon and some guys almost faint from shock.

I suppose Draco didn't smile pleasantly too often.

But his eyes showed his genuine joy at our reunion and it was impossible to stop myself from smiling back – an odd sort of tightening in my chest.

"Good morning to you too, Draco," I replied easily, almost amused at the bright, highness in my own voice.

"Mind if I walk you to your first lesson after breakfast?" he asked suddenly.

More gasps.

"Not at all, I'll wait for you by the door, okay?" I agreed. Nodding, Draco kissed my forehead and turned around to go sit at the Slytherin Table.

I practically floated to the Gryffindor Table, well aware of the stares I still received. It seemed that half the Hall was gawking at me, while the other half stared at Draco. The professors seemed to be swiveling their heads back and forth, as stunned as the students. I hummed as I piled food on my plate, and no one spoke until I began devouring my meaty breakfast.

"Gia…" Harry began, and I was surprised at the tightness in his voice and jaw, "is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Harry was seated on my left today, clenching his fork tightly. Ron, directly across from Harry, was outright glaring over my shoulder, across the Hall at Draco. While Hermione, across from me, looked to be caught between concern and curious interest.

"Nope," I said, shrugging lightly, "Why do you ask?"

"Hmm, let's see…" Harry began quietly, anger mixing with sarcasm. "You haven't been sleeping in Gryffindor Tower, and then suddenly, you walk into the Great Hall and hug Malfoy! On top of that, you agree to let him walk you to class, and he kissed your forehead. I'm surprised it didn't melt off!"

Ron and Hermione stared at Harry, as did I, only my eyebrow had risen with each sentence.

"Do you hear yourself right now?" I started calmly, leveling Harry with a cool gaze. "Though none of that is any of your business, I can practically read the thoughts off your face. So, to answer your real question, no, I am not secretly dating Draco, or anyone else for that matter." I paused and huffed, rolling my eyes. "And I highly doubt that my forehead will melt off."

Harry obviously had nothing else to say, and neither did Ron, but Hermione simply smiled at me. "Well, I'm glad someone besides me thinks inter-House unity is important. Malfoy can be a right prat sometimes, but if you're friends with him, then he must have some redeeming qualities."

I recognized Hermione's attempt to be supportive, and I was touched beyond belief. I tried to convey my thanks through my eyes, and she seemed to understand. This, however, caused Ron's foul mood to be turned on her. As he drew her into some bickering match over something unimportant, I greeted Neville and a few other Gryffindors I'd become acquainted with and my eyes scanned the table, coming to rest on the lone, beautiful figure at the far end, nearest the door.

Hermione must've noticed my glance because she leaned in and said, "She's been sitting alone since our first year. We tried to make her feel welcome but she always seemed to prefer her solitude so we let her after a while."

Elizabeth…

The mysterious girl, very reminiscent of Hermione the previous morning, had her head buried in our assigned Potions textbook and seemed to have long-since blocked out the noise around her. Heeding Hermione's forewarning, I stood abruptly and casually strolled down the length of the table, greeting fellow house mates as they called out to me.

"Elizabeth," I said calmly, not wanting to startle her…but something told me that even though she appeared focused on the words in front of her, she was still very aware of her surroundings. The more I observed her subtle behaviors, the more intriguing I found her.

"Yes?" was her simple reply, never looking up from the page she was on.

"Would you like to come and sit with us for breakfast?" I asked boldly, glancing over my shoulder to see Hermione, Ron and Harry watching me curiously.

It seemed the trio wasn't the only ones that were surprised because I caught the very quick flicker of uncertainty flash across Elizabeth's face. She paused…and then dog-eared the page and shoved the book into her backpack. "Sure, why not," she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder and rising to her feet.

"Any particular reason you've been isolating yourself since first year," I asked quietly as we slowly began to head back to where I'd been sitting. I caught Hermione's eye and my gaze flicked to Neville and back to her. Catching the hint, she whispered to Neville, who looked over and then quickly scooted down, making room for Elizabeth.

"Well, they didn't try very hard after the first week or so," Elizabeth replied calmly, no hint of accusation or bitterness in her tone. "But I suppose I'm used to mostly being on my own, and once they started leaving me to my own devices, I settled back into the habit. Hermione gravitated towards those two after a few weeks," she gestured to Harry and Ron, who were trying and failing to pretend that they were interested in their breakfast, "and Lavender and Parvati were best friends by the end of the Welcoming Feast. No offense, but I'd rather not be stuck between those two airheads anyway – sharing a dorm has been more than enough bonding time for me."

We shared a small smile.

"Guys, you all know Elizabeth," I said as I resumed my seat, and allowed her to take the place between Neville and me.

"Good morning Elizabeth," my four friends chimed, bringing a small smile to the girl's lips. I felt her physically relax beside me.

"Siblings?" I pressed as the Hermione tactfully pulled the boys into a discussion about lessons.

"Twin brothers, third year Gryffindors as well," Elizabeth said, her alert eyes quickly scanning the table.

She pointed a neatly manicured finger about fifteen spaces down, where two identical boys sat amongst their friends. They looked as much like Elizabeth as they did each other – same flawless, brown skin – same high cheekbones and dark eyes – same long, thick black hair, though theirs were pulled up into identical tight buns. They seemed to be regaling their group of friends with some hilarious tale, because all of the third years around them, Ron's little sister Ginny included, were laughing their heads off, pounding the table. They must've felt their older sister's eyes on them because they turned our way at the same time and sent her twin, mischievous smiles.

My chest froze as I noticed two pairs of slightly lengthened sharp canine teeth.

Bloody hell – there was absolutely no way…

"…parents were pretty old when they had us, they were ecstatic to get those two menaces out of the house for most of the year," she laughed fondly.

"Thai?" I said, struggling to keep my tone light as question after question flooded my mind.

Loads of people were born with slightly longer teeth – it didn't mean anything. I even attempted to stretch out my senses and get a better feel for Elizabeth's aura, and though she certainly had an impressive well of magic inside of her and that same…almost catlike, deadly aura around her, I couldn't sense the same energy that surrounded my people.

Whatever mysterious powers she and her brothers held, they weren't Lycan for sure.

"Cambodian," she smiled proudly, the first true, full smile I'd seen from her, "The twins and I were born here in wizarding Britain but our parents are from a small village in the south, close to the sea." She eyed me openly – she was bold, I liked that. "Spanish?"

The trio were now more interested in our conversation.

"Half and half," I laughed lightly, hoping it didn't sound as false as it felt as I flicked my thick braid over my shoulder. "My mother was a full-blooded English lady and my father's family has hailed from Spain since the beginning – also a small area near the sea, just outside of Barcelona."

"Don't take offense –"

"I don't offend easily," I interjected quickly.

"Are you a _natural_ redhead?" she grinned, wagging her eyebrows playfully as her eyes roved over my curls.

Ron coughed harshly, his eyes watering as he drank deeply from his pumpkin juice.

"Believe it or not, yes," I replied, raising an eyebrow at the red-haired boy. "My father's hair is a bit of a darker shade of red – nasty shock when my mother pushed me out, thought my head was bleeding."

"No siblings then? I heard about… everything," Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "You'll learn that nothing stays a secret very long in this bloody castle and the second you got here, the stories started flowing. Sorry."

"I can't say it was unexpected," I sighed, "but I'm an only child. Always wanted a little brother though."

Elizabeth snorted. "Keep mine for a summer and I promise you'll change your mind."

As breakfast continued, Elizabeth seemed to relax a bit more in the company of my friends and me, and I was pleased to see that they each made an attempt to include her in the conversation. My mind and eyes continued to wander between her and her brothers, and I quickly learned that the boys were as perceptive as their sister as they caught me staring more than once, and finally sent twin flirtatious winks in my direction the last time. I learned that their names were Elias and Ezra.

Finally, the bell rang and signaled the end of breakfast.

"Do you guys want to walk with me and Draco?" I offered, already on my feet. "If you don't, I'll understand."

"Sure," Elizabeth said fearlessly, gathering her things again.

Ron looked ready to shout NO; Harry looked torn between not wanting to be anywhere near Draco and not wanting to leave me alone with him; but Hermione decided it for them. She grabbed Ron firmly with her right hand and smiled. "We will be walking with you, and we will be _nice_." She roughly shook Ron in her grip and leveled Harry with a sinister smile. "Isn't that right, boys?"

"Yes Mione," they chimed unhappily.

Neville passed.

An enormous grin bloomed on my lips, and I led them to the doors of the Great Hall, where I met Draco. He looked behind me at the trio and I saw his lips twitch, almost reaching a sneer, but he forced it back and simply nodded at them with what looked like immense effort.

"Moon," he greeted formally, but not rudely.

"Malfoy," Elizabeth replied in turn, unbothered by his cool gaze.

"Here, let me hold your bag for you, Gia," Draco offered, already gently sliding my bag from my shoulder.

"Are you sure? It's not that heavy," I said, even as I fought down a blush at the sweet gesture.

"Of course, no gentleman would let a girl carry her own bag. It's simple etiquette," he said, almost pointedly.

Glancing over my shoulder, Elizabeth had a large smirk on her beautiful face, and Hermione was eyeing both Ron and Harry with exasperation.

"That's very sweet Draco."

"So, where am I walking you to?" he asked, looking down at me.

"History of Magic," I answered, "should be interesting."

Draco snorted. "The exact opposite actually."

"What do you mean?"

Draco simply shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "You'll see."

The rest of the walk was spent with me begging Draco to let me in on the secret of History of Magic class, and my ears picking up on the rude comments Ron and Harry muttered about Draco. Hermione was acting as a sort of referee, keeping the two boys from bating Draco out loud and Elizabeth seemed to struggling to withhold laughter and offer Hermione moral support. I was pleased that she still seemed at ease with us, and found that I enjoyed her strong presence near me.

The entire trip only lasted about five minutes, but it was an incredibly entertaining five minutes. When we were at last standing outside of the classroom, Draco handed me my bag and kissed my forehead again. He started to walk away, but gritted his teeth and shortly inclined his head in the general direction of my friends. That seemed to be much more than they expected because we all watched his retreating back in varying degrees of surprised silence.

When his confident stride had finally disappeared around the corner, I led the others into the classroom and we found five seats in the back. Elizabeth and Hermione sat to my left, with Harry and Ron to my right. My hearing and mental barriers allowed me to keep up with Professor Binns's quick lecture, but I had to draw on a bit of magic to keep myself awake and alert. Ron and Harry had long since fallen asleep and were snoring loudly beside me, along with most of the class. Elizabeth and Hermione, to my pleasure, both looked as alert as I did and scribbled away quickly on their parchment. When class was over, I took pity on the boys and promised to make them copies of my notes later, but only if they promised to take their own later.

My next period was self-study and so I told the others that I'd see them at lunch and headed up to East Tower to change. Once in my room, I quickly changed into black shorts and a black sports bra, along with matching trainers. I strapped my wand back to my right thigh, and shadowed right out of Hogwarts, and reappeared at my new home in Eturn Ally. As I stepped out of my large bedroom there, I took a deep breath and flexed my control over the wards. Yes, I felt that someone had been picking at them and not with much subtly. I didn't specifically recognize the magically signature, but something about it seemed familiar.

"You nosy son of a bitch…" I muttered angrily, heading to the training room on the second floor, "If I never see his bloody face again, it'll be too soon."

Though I had purchased the house with the intention of being closer to the center of wizarding Britain, and because all of the Grey family properties were much too grand and spacious for one person, the house was still rather large. It had five bedrooms with bathrooms inside, a kitchen, living room, dining room, library, and training room spread out across three floors. On the way to the training room, I passed by the library I'd filled up with books from the main family branch. I had chosen only books that I'd never read before, and I vowed to grab some to take back with me to Hogwarts. Entering my training room, it was set up almost exactly as the one at the other Grey property I'd been living in. One entire wall was made of a long mirror, while the other three were plain white marble and covered with various weapons and equipment that I trained with. The floor was covered with spongy mats, black of course.

After about an hour of going through my usual stretches and exercises, I plopped down onto the mat and sat cross-legged on it as I caught my breath. Lying on my back and spreading out my limbs, I sank into my subconscious and started working through my most recent memories, examining and sorting them as I went along. With everything that I had going on, though, Elizabeth's beautiful dark eyes kept swimming to the forefront of my mind.

"Elizabeth, Ezra, and Elias…what a mystery you three have presented…" I muttered, absently twirling my fingers through my hair.

Bolting upright, my hand was already on my wand when a small, very familiar form popped into the training room. My heart stopped as her large, tearful green eyes peered up at me.

"MISTRESS GIA!" she shouted, and I was nearly thrown onto my back as she tackled me around the middle in a tight hug, sobbing and wailing. "Oh – oh Mistress Gia, Prim has found you! Prim searched and searched – Prim thought Mistress Gia was – was gone like Mistress A –" her voice broke.

Prim…

My favorite house-elf that had faithfully served House Wilde since before I'd been born – she'd practically raised me, especially after my mother's death. But if she could find me…

"Prim, down!" I snapped forcefully.

In an instant, Prim had removed herself from my person and stood before me, wiping away the snot and tears on the ratty uniform that she'd always taken pride in. I finally noticed the large rip at the right shoulder, where the Wilde family crest had once rested.

"How did you find me? Where is my –" I paused and took a breath. "Did my father send you after me?"

Prim looked horrified and gripped her large ears. "Oh no, Mistress Gia!" her eyes welled up again. "Master Grey d-dismissed Prim when he discovered that Prim let Mistress Gia leave and did not tell him immediately. Master Grey said Prim was a disgraced elf! He – he gave Prim clothes! And – and he took the crest."

Prim's worst nightmare, same as any house-elf, was to be given clothes and dismissed from her family. Judging from her unkempt appearance, she'd taken the dismissal pretty hard. I'd never seen the bubbly elf look so disheveled and unhealthy.

"Prim has been looking everywhere for Mistress Gia!" Prim insisted when I didn't say anything. "Mistress Gia is the only family that Prim has left… Oh please do not send Prim away, please!"

She threw herself at my feet and sobbed into the tops of my shoes.

"Prim, control yourself!" I said sternly, at a complete loss as my mind raced. Prim forced herself to her feet but seemed to be barely controlling herself from prostrating before me again. I went to rake my fingers through my hair until I remembered that it was tied back in a braid, and instead brushed the sweaty strands from my face.

"What happened when my father returned home after I left, Prim?" I said finally, dropped into a seated position in front of the little elf.

Her green eyes widened fearfully at the image. "Master Grey was – was v-very angry, Mistress Gia. He searched the entire house for Mistress Gia. He called all of the house-elves and demanded that we tell him where you were, but no one knew. Prim had lost you…"

She sucked in a shaky breath as tears splashed the front of her torn uniform.

"Master Grey was especially angry with Prim. Master Grey ordered Prim to find you immediately but no matter how hard Prim tried, Prim could not find Mistress Gia," she whispered, trembling. "Master Grey was most angry with Prim, and he – he gave Prim clothes. He said if Prim could not obey orders, Prim would live in disgrace."

"Where have you been this whole time?" I asked, struggling to remain stoic as I looked on at Prim, someone who had cared for me and loved me my entire life. "How did you find me now?"

"Prim has been searching far and wide for Mistress Gia!" she insisted again, imploring me to believe her. "Sometimes Prim could feel Mistress Gia's powers but when Prim travels to find Mistress Gia, Mistress Gia is already gone. Prim knows a lot of elves – and finally, Prim's friend Knoll tells Prim that he served Mistress Gia at Hogwarts! Prim went to Hogwarts today! But Mistress Gia was not in the castle – Prim had found Mistress Gia's magical trail though! A strong one – fresh, and Prim was able to track Mistress Gia here."

I couldn't pretend to know how house-elf magic worked, and though it worried me that Prim had been tracking me for a while and had been able to find me through the castle elves, I knew that Prim would never do anything to hurt me. In fact… it was probably better that I kept Prim close. She knew more about me than probably any living person and I'd rather have her on my side than with strangers. She was family after all. She was staring at me fearfully, awaiting my final judgement.

"Are you ready to come home, Prim?" I asked finally.

Prim looked as though all of her wildest dreams had come true. "Oh yes, Mistress Gia! Prim wants nothing more than to serve her family like a good elf!"

"Very well," I said, coming to kneel on one knee before her. Prim placed her palm on my forehead. "Do you, Prim the elf, solemnly swear to look after, care for, protect, be loyal to, and keep the secrets of the Grey family?"

Her hand and my forehead where she touched it began to glow. "Prim swears, Mistress Gia."

"Then I, Giavana Aria Grey, do solemnly swear to look after, care for and protect Prim as I would my own blood. So mote it be."

"So mote it be."

There was a flash of blue light and when it disappeared, Prim looked properly restored and happier than I'd ever seen her. The ratty remains of her old uniform had vanished, replaced with a small black dress uniform, complete with the two-faced crest of the Grey family on her chest. She fingered the fine cloth reverently.

"Mistress Gia is Lady of Mistress Ava's family…" she muttered admirably. "Prim is very happy for Mistress Gia. Forgive Prim, but Master Grey was not a nice master. Mistress Gia was always very good to Prim."

I patted Prim's head affectionately. "I've missed you too, Prim. You're the only family I have left," I said quietly, before looking around the training room. "While I'm at Hogwarts, I probably won't have too much work for you to do right now. If you'd like, you can clean up the training room here and go to work in the castle with the other elves. If I need anything else, I will call you."

"Thank you, Mistress Gia! Prim will make Mistress Gia very proud!" she gushed, before bowing and popping away, probably to gather her supplies.

I knew that I wouldn't have to give Prim any strict or specific orders. Prim had been serving my family for decades and she knew the rules and laws that came with serving a powerful family. I had no worries about her revealing any information about me or my location to anyone.

"I suppose I should be happy," I muttered to myself, as I prepared to head back to school, "If it took Prim this long to find me, maybe I did have more time before I'd have to face him…"

Heading for the small library down the hall, I quickly browsed through the titles, many of which made me wonder about my family members and their interests. I was now pressed for time and simply grabbed an obscure history book, as well as a tome on the history of the Grey family. Checking the time, I saw that I had at least fifteen minutes to get back to Hogwarts and shower in time for lunch. I shadow-stepped directly into my bedroom in East Tower and gently tucked the two books by my pillow before hurrying into the bathroom. As I showered, I remembered that I was supposed to report back to Madam Pomfrey this morning before breakfast for a follow-up.

"Damn," I muttered, speeding up.

I used a spell to dry off as I darted into my closet, wiggling into a pair of black skinny jeans, black trainers, and a loose, black Weird Sisters crop-top. After strapping my wand to my right thigh, I shadow-stepped to a dark alcove on the first floor and ran to the Hospital Wing from there. I burst into the ward and saw that Madam Pomfrey's door was closed.

I heard muffled talking and assumed that a privacy spell had been used, and so I decided to wait on one of the vacant beds. As I idly swung my legs, I wondered if my friends would wonder where I'd been and why I'd missed the first half of lunch. After about five minutes, I was pulled from my calming thoughts as two small boys, possibly first years, entered the Hospital Wing. The slightly taller boy had strawberry blonde hair and cream skin, while the smaller had mousy brown hair and paler skin that was covered in sweat. The taller boy was supporting the other and I quickly noticed that the smaller boy was limping. The scent of pain, though milder than the scent of anger, was no less unappealing as it reached my nostrils.

"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey, Dennis's been burned in Charm's class! He needs help!" the taller boy called desperately. As I quickly slid off the bed, I gently scooped the smaller boy into my arms and placed him on the bed I had just vacated. Smoothing back his hair, which was plastered to his sweaty face, I recognized him as Dennis Creevey, Colin Creevey's littler brother.

"Madam Pomfrey's in a meeting sweetie, do you think –?"

My question broke off as Dennis stared at me pleadingly with wide brown eyes that glistened. "Please…" he whispered, and my heart damn near broke, "it…h-hurts…"

"Ah shit…" I muttered, raking my fingers through my hair.

Reaching out with my hearing, it didn't sound as though Madam Pomfrey would be out soon and I couldn't leave Dennis in pain. With a sigh, I examined his burn more closely. It covered his entire left leg from the knee down, and even the tops of his trainers had been singed. It wasn't too serious that he'd have to be sent to St. Mungo's but it was bad enough that it had to be unbearably painful at the moment. Pulling out my wand, I muttered soothing words to Dennis as I cast a numbing charm over his leg. He relaxed slightly, but the charm would only last a few minutes until I could find some burn-healing paste.

"W-what can I do?" the other boy asked. I had almost forgotten that he was here. I kneeled down and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You were really brave to bring Dennis up here by yourself, you know that? And a darn good friend, as well," I said softly.

The boy's eyes widened and he stared up at me. "R-really? You mean it?"

"Of course I do, but you know what real friends do?" I asked. The boy shook his head. "They'd sit next to their friend's bed and tell them everything will be okay."

The boy nodded in understanding.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked.

"Nigel Wolpert." He said, before hurrying over to Dennis's bed and clambering into one of the chairs beside it. I heard him whispering to Dennis as I walked over to the large cupboard that contained the healing potions. Mentally groaning as I felt the wards around it, which were much stronger than any seventh year could break through, I said a mental apology to Madam Pomfrey before using a family spell to create a hole in them.

"_Magnis Posticum_!" I muttered quickly.

I didn't put too much power into the spell, so the hole I'd punched into the wards would close after a few moments. My eyes rapidly scanned through the cupboard and fell on the large jar of light green burn-heal paste. I grabbed it before returning to Dennis's side.

"Dennis, I have to warn you that this will feel really cold but the sensation will lesson after a few minutes. Stay very still, okay?" I instructed calmly.

Dennis and Nigel watched me with wide eyes as I applied the minty-scented paste with a feather-light touch. It took a few minutes to completely coat his burn with it, and when I was done, the jar was half-empty.

"Wow that is really cold," breathed Dennis, a bright smile blooming on his face. "Wait till the others see this!"

"Dennis, I'm afraid that this burn will leave a bit of a scar, but it should fade after a few months," I informed him slowly, hoping beyond hope that the boy wouldn't burst into tears.

To my utter relief, Dennis said, "It's okay, scars are cool!" with plenty of enthusiasm. He didn't seem to be in pain anymore, so the paste must've been doing its job properly.

"Do you mind telling me what happened, Dennis?" I said, picking up the clipboard and quill attached to the foot of the bedframe.

"Oh, we were in Charm's class and Professor Flitwick was trying to teach us the fire spell. He said I put too much magic into mine, and it got out of control," Dennis confessed. He looked down, almost ashamed. I scribbled down the correct information, asking for personal questions about himself to fill in on the chart, before running standard spells over him.

"No fever or other injuries, you should be perfectly fine. Now listen to me," I said, cupping Dennis's chin and lifted it until he met my eyes, "there is absolutely nothing wrong with overpowering a spell, I've done it hundreds of times. It just means that you have more power and magical potential, but you'll have to work on your control harder than your friends. That's something to be proud of Dennis, not ashamed of, okay?"

Dennis's somber mood disappeared as quickly as it had come and he nodded quickly.

"That's really cool, Dennis!" Nigel exclaimed excitedly. "Think of all the powerful spells you could learn in the future!"

At that moment, the Hospital Wing doors burst open and Colin Creevey ran into the room, his face betraying his panic. "Where's Dennis? Someone told me my little brother was burned! Where –" His frantic words failed as his eyes fell on Dennis, Nigel, and me. The relief nearly bowled him over, and he hurried over to Dennis and pulled the small boy into a tight hug.

"Dennis, don't you dare scare me like that again, you hear me? Do you know how worried I was? And you know mum would skin me alive if anything serious happened to you during your first week here!" Colin muttered rapidly as he damn near smothered Dennis to his chest. When he let him go, Dennis's face was pink but he obviously adored his older brother, and he smiled brilliantly up at him.

"It's okay Colin, this nice lady healed it for me and she said I was powerful too!" he said excitedly.

Colin finally _really_ looked at me, and blushed. "Oh, t-thank you G-Gia, for healing Colin – I mean – Creevey – err – Dennis."

I smiled at Colin, and the poor boy's pulse accelerated. It was rather adorable. "Don't worry about it Colin. Dennis was a good patient and a brave soldier, as was his friend Nigel. You might want to talk to your parents about Dennis's power levels though. They're a bit above normal for a boy his size and age. You could take him to St. Mungo's to be officially tested."

"Is that bad?" Colin asked, becoming serious.

I immediately approved of Colin's concern over his younger brother's well-being. To my people, one's pack or family was the most important thing in the world.

"Not at all, but it's better to be aware so that he can work on his control more carefully. Also, kids with higher power levels are prone to more bouts of accidental magic, even after starting school," I informed him professionally.

Colin breathed a sigh of relief, and ruffled Dennis's hair affectionately. "That's my little man; mum and dad'll be proud, no doubt," He murmured. "Thank you for everything Gia, really. I don't know how I can ever repay you for healing Dennis and telling us about his powers."

"Don't worry about it, really Colin. But I would leave the paste on for at least another couple hours. By then, he can wash it off and his leg should be fine, with just a faint scar, but that'll heal eventually."

I was almost surprised at the strong feeling of accomplishment that I felt in that moment. It felt good to help and heal for once, rather than harm.

"Thanks Gia," Dennis and Nigel chimed shyly, waving as Colin led both boys out of the Hospital Wing.

"That was quite amazing, Miss Grey," said Madam Pomfrey from behind me.

Behind her was the black-haired professor that I'd seen at the Sorting a few nights ago. I recognized him as _the_ Severus Snape, the youngest Potions Master in the last century, and shifted as he stared emotionlessly at me.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, absently cleaning and straightening the bed I had put Dennis on.

"Since the silent alarm around my potions cupboard went off," She said wryly.

"I apologize, ma'am, but Dennis was in a lot of pain and I didn't want to interrupt you," I replied respectfully, meeting the kind but stern matron's eye.

"Oh think nothing of it, dear, but… I am curious as to how you handled the situation. It was almost as if you were a professionally trained Healer," Madam Pomfrey said inquiringly.

"My mother worked as a Healer in Spain before she passed, ma'am," I stated calmly, ignoring the twist in my chest. "I learned a lot from watching her, and I asked a lot of questions."

"Well, you did an excellent job, so much so that I was wondering if you'd be interested in coming to help me out every so often in here?" she asked suddenly.

Though my eyes popped disbelievingly, Professor Snape seemed to mutely agree with her.

"Seriously, Madam Pomfrey? You'd really like my help?" I breathed, completely floored but incredibly honored.

"Yes, of course, Miss Grey. Some days are busier than others, and I find that on those days, my job would be much less stressful if I had a reliable helping hand. You wouldn't have to come in everyday, but perhaps in your free time, you may come in to help. Or, in case of an emergency, I would send a castle elf to retrieve you," Madam Pomfrey explained. She seemed to ponder something. "You seem to know a great deal, but there's always room for more knowledge, if you'd allow me to impart some?"

"I would be truly honored for the opportunity, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you," I said gratefully, bowing my head. "And I'd like to apologize for not returning here this morning as you requested. I had a bit of a family emergency I had to attend to."

A small, harmless lie.

"Think nothing of it dear, do you mind Severus being here for this conversation?" She asked calmly, gesturing for me to sit on the edge of the nearest bed.

"No ma'am, I don't mind."

"Very well. When running standard tests over you yesterday, I found two very distinct oddities in your blood and magic. I was wondering if you'd noticed." Madam Pomfrey began.

Oddities? Why – I should be offended.

Outwardly, however, I slowly nodded my head in response to her question. "You're referring to the golden aura and the swirling black one, correct?"

"Yes. Now, do you know what those colors mean?" she prompted.

"I am aware of the golden aura, Madam Pomfrey, but the black aura is currently a mystery to me," I admitted carefully.

Of course, I had assumed that it was tied to the source of my shadow powers, but even my father had been clueless as to how that particular power had manifested. No one in my family had ever demonstrated powers like mine, and I had yet to come across them in a book.

Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape stared at me.

"Very well, Miss Grey, I will not intrude on your privacy unless you request my help in determining the source of the black aura. However, I am now aware that you have Lycan blood in your veins, am I correct?"

"Yes ma'am," I said calmly, "I am half-Lycan, half-witch."

"How long have you known?"

"Since birth," I said promptly, unashamed, "It has been passed down through my father's bloodline since the beginning."

"Not much is known about Lycans, Miss Grey, as they generally keep to themselves. We've had one werewolf student attend Hogwarts before," Madam Pomfrey revealed.

I immediately picked up the harsh scent of anger and disgust coming off Professor Snape in waves, even though his facial expression never changed in the slightest.

Interesting…

"We had to take precautions during a full moon. I would like to know if that will be necessary with you as well?"

"No ma'am, Lycan can transform at will, and even in our other form, we are able to keep our human minds. We are admittedly stronger and more powerful during the full moon, but it doesn't affect us the same way it does werewolves."

"Have you transformed before, Miss Grey?" Madam Pomfrey continued.

"No." I said shortly.

"And why is that?" Professor Snape asked, speaking for the first time.

"I haven't come into my full powers yet, sir," I explained slowly, quickly trying to decide what information I was comfortable divulging. "All Lycan must reach a certain state of maturity and control before coming into their full powers – it's a different time and age for each one of us. After that coming of age, we are able to change between forms at will. However, if you don't mind, I'm not comfortable answering anymore questions about my people."

"Of course, Miss Grey, as is your right to refuse. Are you certain that you would not like my or Professor Snape's assistance in determining the meaning of the black aura?" She asked again.

"Not at this time, ma'am, however, if I should change my mind, I will inform you both immediately," I promised.

"Very well Miss Grey, you may return to lunch."

"Good day Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape," I said respectfully, curtsying before them before starting for the door. As I slipped out of the ward, I heard Madam Pomfrey's worried tone.

"I've never seen anything like it, Severus – it felt like…like death…"

"Death?" I repeated, nearly turning back around. The loud and ferocious roar of hunger in my stomach, however, had me hurrying down to the Great Hall before lunch ended.

When I entered the Hall, I was able to ignore the usual stares I received and I plopped down into my customary seat at the Gryffindor Table. I immediately piled various bits of meat and an enormous salad onto my plate and had decimated half of it before finally coming up for air.

"You eat like a troll," said Elizabeth amusedly, picking at her own meaty salad.

I couldn't help but notice that she liked her meat rare – just as I did.

"Bugger off," I grunted, chewing through a cube of beef.

"Colin's telling the entire House how you healed his little brother, Gia," said Harry, smiling softly.

"Err – yeah. I was the only person in the Hospital wing at the time and Madam Pomfrey was in a serious meeting with Professor Snape. I thought it would be rude to interrupt but I couldn't just leave the kid in pain," was my nonchalant reply, before I downed another gulp of pumpkin juice. "I didn't think much of it, but now Madam Pomfrey's invited me to come and help her out in the Hospital Wing – in between some classes and in case of emergencies."

"Wow, really?" Hermione breathed, impressed. "I've always been interested in Healer work, I bet that'll be a great experience."

"My mum was a Healer," I said proudly, able to smile through the slight pain I felt, "Maybe I can talk to Madam Pomfrey and see if you can join me in helping out. I'm sure she could use all the help she can get, and who better than the Great Hermione Granger?"

She giggled, but her face had flushed pleasantly. "That would be very sweet of you, Gia. Thanks."

"What can I expect from Professor Snape in Potions? He seemed a bit cold," I asked, changing the subject.

Another one of those three-way loaded glances passed between the trio, and the rest of lunch was spent with them recounting tales of class with Snape. By the time they were done, I was feeling a fair bit of worry and wariness.

As the bell rang, I blew out a deep breath. "Well, I guess I'm about to get some firsthand experience, then? But I have to wonder what always has Snape in such a foul mood…" I threw my bag over my shoulder. "Hmm… maybe he just needs to get laid."

The boys immediately began choking and gagging behind me, and Elizabeth and Hermione seemed as amused as I did as we headed for the door along with the rest of the students. As we journeyed down into the dungeons, there was most certainly a noticeable decrease in temperature and I wrapped my cloak tightly around me. I was not a usually cold-natured person, but for some odd reason, I found myself getting the chills more often now.

Professor Snape was already waiting for us inside the classroom and as we filed in, I dragged my four companions to the front, left row. Snape gave the trio cold looks, but his eyes seemed to glide right past Elizabeth and me, and we shared a long, amused look.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Elizabeth leaned over and whispered in my ear, sending a quick shiver down my spine. I turned and looked at her, our faces rather close – it was only then that I noticed that her eyes weren't so dark after all. Up close, I finally realized that they were actually a deep purple. She smiled wickedly, licking her lips and my eyes unwittingly tracked the action, noting that her four canines were certainly longer now than they had been the past few days.

"See something you like, Grey?" she whispered flirtatiously, her breath smelled pleasantly fruity.

My knees clenched together automatically and it was all I could do not to squirm under her playful…and knowing gaze.

_Bloody temptress…_

I was saved the humiliation of answering as Snape swept to the front of the class and launched into an interesting little speech about the wonders of potion making. He made it very clear that he didn't expect most of us to pass the class.

"_Miss_ Grey," drawled Professor Snape slowly.

It seemed that the entire class sat up straight with rapt attention, but I gazed calmly up at the man. "Yes, sir?" I asked politely.

"Would you care to tell me what Golpalott's Third Law states?"

Easily a sixth year topic – the outrage on Hermione's face said she knew that much as well.

"Golpalott's Third Law states that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components," I recited carefully, "sir."

Professor Snape's eyebrow twitched, but his face showed no sign of pleasure or displeasure. "Correct. Can you tell me what Amortentia is and describe the three main characteristics of a properly brew cauldron of said potion?"

Definitely a NEWTs level topic…

"Amortentia is the most powerful love potion known to the wizarding world and if consumed, causes a powerful infatuation or obsession in the drinker. The three main characteristics are a distinct mother-of-pearl sheen, spiraling steam, and a multi-faceted scent which varies depending on what the person smelling the potion likes or is attracted to," I stated clearly.

There was utter silence.

Professor Snape's expression melted just a tad, almost imperceptibly. "Also correct, one final question. What is fluxweed and in order to correctly brew a cauldron of Polyjuice Potion, when does it need to be picked?"

What was Snape playing at? Was he hoping that I'd slip up and give him an opportunity to embarrass me in front of the class? Or was he truly interested in seeing how far my knowledge extended?

"Fluxweed, sir, is a plant in the mustard family that is well known for its healing properties. In order for it to be successfully used in Polyjuice Potion it has to be picked under the full moon."

"Correct," Snape said curtly. "Perhaps I have finally gained a competent student."

"Badass…" Elizabeth whistled softly beside me. She nudged my leg with hers underneath the table and I _swear_ I felt a jolt of energy shoot up my thighs.

"You haven't seen anything yet," I murmured back, flashing a wicked grin. Her eyes widened slightly but she seemed please and we both fought to keep our expressions even as Snape explained the day's assignment.

He wanted us to get used to the process of potion-making again after a full summer of nothingness, and had us practicing with a third year potion, the Confusing Concoction. It was horrifyingly easy to brew, even with Professor Snape literally hovering over my shoulder, watching every move I made, a fact he certainly did not try to conceal. I managed to block him out, but it was hard to ignore the warmth his body radiated into my cold one as he stood inches away from my back.

By the time I'd finished my potion and reduced the heat, my body was desperately struggling to reach for the warmth it felt nearby. My vision had begun to fade in…and out… I felt that I was floating through a peaceful abyss… I sought out the source of the warmth…

"Gia, what are you doing?" hissed Hermione.

Such wonderful, wonderful warmth this was…

"Grey, what the hell…" Elizabeth's sardonic voice drifted towards me.

I frowned.

Why were they ruining this peaceful warmth for me?

Shaking my head, I burrowed deeper into the warmth – even enjoying the clean, natural scent of it. I hummed softly…happily as I felt a strong, deep thumping coming from within the warmth and I pressed myself closer to it.

Closer…closer…

My body demanded and I complied, pressing more and more until my body was molding with it. I wanted to become thoroughly enveloped in it… such wonderful warmth…

I hissed as I felt sharp fingernails dig into my bare leg, and nearly snarled as my eyes snapped open.

"What the…" I murmured, utterly confused as I wondered just what I had my face and chest pressed against – it felt like a firm, warm wall.

Looking up slowly, my face flooded and if I had died right then, I would've been perfectly fine with that. What I'd had my face and bosom rubbing against – what I'd been _snuggling_ rather intimately into – was in fact, Snape's torso. My hands were tightly wound in his cloak and I was halfway burrowed into it.

Merlin, if you could just strike me down right now – I'd be eternally grateful.

When it became clear that Merlin would not save me from this humiliation, I snatched myself away from Snape as if my skin had been flayed by the contact. I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes and I felt the flush spreading through my face, down my neck – my entire body seemed to be shaking and sweating.

Rather than look at Snape, I quickly glanced around – thank the gods, the entire class was too busy trying not to blow up their cauldrons. No one had noticed the unexpected sexual assault of our professor, other than Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Elizabeth – each staring at me with varying degrees of shock and horror.

Was that…humor... I saw glinting in Elizabeth's eyes?

"Professor I – I –" I stammered, completely mortified. "I'm so incredibly sorry, Professor. I swear I don't know what came over me! I – I didn't mean to –"

"Please," Professor Snape interrupted, his voice incredibly strained, his normally pale skin rather pink, "bottle and label your potion, Miss Grey."

Without another word or glance in my direction, he swept away and began his circuits around the room, checking on the other students' progress.

I leaned on my elbows and hid my scarlet face in my hands.

"Are you okay, Gia? I'm sure he's not mad," whispered Hermione, as she soothingly rubbed my back.

"I've never seen him look so shaken," Ron breathed, amazed but also disgusted.

"You didn't have to jump the poor man, Gia, geez," Elizabeth teased, nearly falling off her stool with the force of her laughs as I leveled her with a glare.

"Are you feeling okay, Gia? One minute, you were finishing up your potion and the next – well you know…" Harry muttered.

"Drop it, all of you," I hissed quietly as I finally forced down my blush.

Shame and humiliation forced me to keep my head down and my mouth shut for the rest of the class period, even as I helped Harry and Ron salvage their potions enough for a passing grade. When the bell rang, I was the first person to run from the classroom. I didn't stop running until I'd raced through the entrance hall and out the front doors. Once outside, I embraced the fresh air and strong wind.

Tucking my bag in a small corner beside the stairs, I took a deep breath and released the constant death grip I held over my magic, to keep myself under control. The second I relinquished that control, the power that I kept repressed flowed freely, nearly lifting me off the ground in its exuberance to expand.

"Time for a little run," I said to myself, grinning and I kicked off my boots and tossed them beside my bag. I stepped back a few paces, braced myself, and then took a running leap right off the top of the staircase.

My jump took me far and high, and I somersaulted with a delighted hoot before literally hitting the ground running. As I felt the wind pick up around me and the cool grass beneath my bare feet, I finally felt free. My magic was no longer restricted to my core, it had merged fully within me. I knew my eyes had to be glowing bright – I knew my fangs and claws were out…

But I didn't care.

No one was out there to see or judge me.

I flew down the grounds with so much speed that I became less than a blur, and I laughed freely as my robe flew out behind me. I heard water and headed in that direction, coming in view of the Black Lake. Fully emerging myself in my strength and speed, I had just begun to zip along the right side when I felt four heavy, powerful paws bounding behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, Nova's black panther form closed the distance between us in seconds and she flew gracefully beside me.

Feeling a bit silly, I began doing flips as I ran; I turned cartwheels and backflips as I pleased, swinging from the branches as we raced through the trees and leaping over great boulders as we crossed rocky cliffs. We had zipped around the entire lake twice before I sensed another large, powerful presence quickly closing in. Nova suddenly stopped running beside me and turned back the way we'd come, snarling viciously and leaning low on her paws, preparing to pounce. The hairs on the back of my neck stood high and I slid along the edge of a cliff as I switched directions and blasted back toward my familiar, the open black depths of the lake stretching out to my right. I was about ten feet behind Nova when something even bigger than she leapt from the trees to our left.

A deep, ferocious roar echoed through the trees, sending flocks and flocks of birds scurrying out into the sky, and all I could see were orange stripes and black claws before I had the air knocked out of me.

Down…down…

I was freefalling.

The chilly wind rushed around me, ripping at my hair and robes as I tried to gain my bearings. The black surface of the lake closed in and just before I crashed into the icy depths, an absolutely monstrous tiger splashed with me.

Cold…

Darkness…

Breathe…wait! Hold your breath!

Growing up near large bodies of water had introduced me to both the pleasures and terrors of deep water, but nothing had ever felt as awful as being dragged down into the murky, freezing depths of the Black Lake. The golden glow of my eyes finally cut through the immediate darkness around me and my hair flared around me like bloody trails waving in the water. Turning my head every which way, I finally spotted the weak stream of sunlight above me and kicked as hard as possible.

"Ugh!" I gasped, choking and coughing as I broke the surface and sucked in a deep breath. My teeth chattered and my head whipped around as Nova howled from the beach she'd leapt down onto from the cliff. Just as I began kicking and swimming in her direction, something strong grabbed my ankle and suddenly, all was dark again.

Panic swelled inside of me.

My magic ballooned within me…swelling and growing until the very water around me grew hot and bubbly in response. I nearly released the blast of pure power that burned to fry and tear apart any threat, when bright purple eyes glinted at me through the murky depths.

I knew those eyes.

Sure enough, Elizabeth's highly amused face came into clear view as she swam towards me, her black hair flowing all around her. She seemed to be struggling to hold her breath and not laugh, and as angry as I was, the moment she reached out and grabbed my hand, it all dissipated – the anger, the swell of magic, the heat…all gone, as quickly as it had come.

Bubbles floated from Elizabeth's mouth as she gurgled to catch my attention, and she pointed up towards the surface. Twenty seconds later…

"Are you completely mental?" I shouted, the moment we'd broken the surface and I sucked in another deep, blessedly clean breath of air.

Her raucous, wild laugh echoed off the trees in the silence around us. Nova whined and paced back and forth along the beach. She was quite capable of transforming into an aquatic animal, but Nova had never been fond of water, especially water that she couldn't see through. These dark, strange waters of the Black Lake were vastly different from the crystal clear waters that surrounded our homes.

"Oh come on, you aren't scared of a little water are you?" she teased, her eyes glinting before she abruptly splashed cold water in my face.

I sputtered, wiping the water from my eyes, before leveling her with a golden, glowing glare. The realization that my wolfish features were still prominent froze me on the spot. Elizabeth seemed to notice this and she snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Oh please, I'd have to be completely blind to not notice that you're Lycan," she said calmly, her head bobbing as she kept herself afloat.

"Wait – what? How'd you know?" I demanded, before images of the tiger that had tackled me flashed through my mind. "Wait – were you – the – the –"

"The tiger? Yes," said Elizabeth simply, calmly.

"You're awfully young to be an Animagus," I replied dryly, finally finding the sense to swim back to shore. The moment I reached the beach and found my footing, Nova pounced on me, knocking me on my ass and licking my face worriedly, as if checking for injuries. "Oh – move – MOVE, you big pussy! I didn't see you diving to help," I groaned, trying and failing to mush her giant head away from me.

"I'm not an Animagus," Elizabeth said finally, coming out the water.

She seemed to have tossed her robe, or perhaps lost it in the water and her uniform clung to her shapely form – so much so that I was having trouble dragging my eyes away. Her white blouse was now completely transparent…her bra black and lacy…

"That was some powerful transfiguration then," I said, finally tearing my gaze away, forcing down the flush I felt rising in my cheeks.

"It wasn't transfiguration either," was her nonchalant reply as she grasped my hand and pulled me to my feet with one powerful tug.

She didn't seem at all bothered as Nova growled low and glared balefully at her.

"Nova, down!" I snapped firmly, and Nova immediately lowered herself to the ground, never taking her yellow eyes off of Elizabeth.

"So your kitten – your familiar – she's a changeling then? A shapeshifter?" Elizabeth asked curiously, walking a full circle around Nova, examining her. "How the hell did you manage that? They're impossible to find and even harder to catch."

"I didn't find or catch her – she found me," I said defensively, watching Elizabeth carefully. She still moved with that deadly grace – that catlike fluidity and precision, and I was getting frustrated trying to get a read on her. "What do you know about changelings?"

"Nothing more than the stories my parents told us as children," she shrugged, seemingly satisfied in her examination of my familiar.

"How did you –"

"The same way that your people can shift from human to Lycan form at will," said Elizabeth, cutting off my incoming question.

"But you're not a Lycan…"

"No…but you didn't think that your people were the only ones endowed with gifts from the Great Mother, did you?"

My eyebrows nearly shot into my hairline.

I most certainly had thought so.

Elizabeth laughed at my expression, an almost patronizing laugh that sent bristles through me. I was usually the one that set people on edge – that made them nervous while I felt powerful – and I found that I didn't like being on the other end of this little game.

"Tigris ex sole…" Elizabeth said fluently.

"Tiger of the sun?" I asked, mentally translating the Latin. Comprehension struck. "I thought the Tigress people were a myth…"

"As most people think of the Lycan," Elizabeth countered smoothly, absently waving her hand and drying us both of the dripping water.

"And your brothers? Ezra and Elias –"

"All of us," she confirmed. "I must say I'm disappointed," she continued, after a few minutes of silence had passed, "I thought you'd be happy that there were others like you at Hogwarts."

She was right.

What was I freaking out about?

I had known that there was more to Elizabeth from the moment I'd met her, but I never thought that it would be something this amazing. I liked Elizabeth…she was funny, she was cool and calculating…strong and sure of herself…

She was like me.

"I suppose I didn't expect to get tackled into a bloody lake by a tiger, forgive me for taking a minute to collect myself," I drawled sarcastically, blowing out a breath and allowing myself to relax. I had never felt threatened by Elizabeth – she'd never given me the impression that she was a danger to me or my friends.

"Well, I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to reveal myself to you," Elizabeth replied, more subdued. She walked past me and sat on a large, water-bleached boulder, close enough that the water lapped at her bare feet. I plopped down next to her and finally, after sniffing around cautiously, Nova curled into a big ball at my feet, keeping out of reach of the water and keeping one eye on Elizabeth.

"So what decided it for you?" I asked, looking out over the Black Lake, calm and still in this secluded corner.

"I saw how happy and free you looked, running wild and free, at one with your powers," said Elizabeth, her gaze far away. "I had never felt that – not here at Hogwarts at least. Can you imagine how these close-minded idiots would react knowing that one of the students could transform into a tiger at will?"

"Tigress don't carry the same stigma as Lycan –"

"Because most, like you did, think we're a myth," Elizabeth interjected. "And though Lycan aren't seen in as bad a light as werewolves…"

"Yeah I can't imagine that going over well either…" I admitted sourly, thoughts of Harry, Ron, and Hermione flitting through my head.

Would they still feel the same about me if they knew?

"I hope that I can trust you with this…" Elizabeth said, the first hints of worry leaking into her voice. I found that I didn't like the thought of this beautiful girl worrying about anything, and before I could stop myself, I reached over and slipped my fingers between hers. I felt her staring at the side of my face but I kept my eyes on the water.

"I'll keep your secret if you keep mine," I said decisively, "About me and Nova."

Her fingers closed firmly around mine and I took that as my answer.

We must've sat there staring at the Lake for a long while because the silence was only broken as my wand began shrieking its alarm, signaling the end of my self-study period.

"Didn't you have class?" I finally asked, rising and stretching, reluctantly releasing my hold on Elizabeth's hand.

"Well, I wasn't going to leave you alone after Potions… You seemed pretty upset," she said as we finally started the long trek back to the castle. I could've shadow-stepped us back much faster, but I wanted to savor this rare moment of privacy with Elizabeth.

Thoughts of Potions class succeeded in subduing my rising spirits, and Elizabeth must've noticed because she suddenly shoved my shoulder and took off running. "You're it!" she yelled over her shoulder, her laugh tinkling in the wind.

"Completely mental," I muttered, shaking my head before that familiar sense of competition flooded my senses.

Feeling a tingle start in my toes and rise through my legs, I bolted after Elizabeth and she squealed upon realizing how fast I closed the distance. It was a pleasure, I must admit, to run wild with someone that I didn't have to hold back with – Elizabeth was surely as fast as I was, and clearly as strong as we kicked up sand, dust, and rocks in our race. After tagging each other several times, we simply raced beside each other, putting every ounce of power and speed until we were blurs, invisible to the human eye. Nova raced beside us, her great form slinking between the trees and leapt nimbly from branch to branch. All too soon, however, the main grounds came into view and we slowed into a human jog; Nova shifted effortlessly into her kitten form and leapt onto my shoulder, her small claws gently gripping my robes as we jogged the last few yards back to the front steps.

"Thank you…for trusting me," I said after a quiet, amicable walk up to the seventh floor.

When we'd reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Elizabeth stared into my eyes – gold to purple. I held my breath, utterly still, as she reached out with her strong, small hand and brushed a few sweaty strands from my face. My skin tingled everywhere she touched as she caressed my cheek, and then let her fingers trail down my arm. She grasped my hand and squeezed it once.

"I'll see you at dinner?" she asked quietly.

"Wouldn't miss it."

She didn't ask any questions as she climbed through the portrait hole alone and I turned back the other way. When I was sure that I was alone in the corridor, I quickly made my way to East Tower, greeting Isavéla as I passed through her. I showered in a hurry, pulling on black sweatpants, trainers, and a plain t-shirt, deciding to leave my hair out for the moment.

Even the stares couldn't dampen my chipper mood as I plopped down at the Gryffindor Table a little later, jammed between Harry and Elizabeth. I didn't react outwardly as I felt her hand slide down my thigh and squeeze my knee, but as I automatically scanned the Head Table, my eyes landed on the dark-haired professor at the end. Professor Snape seemed to feel my eyes on him because he turned his head and our eyes. Thoroughly mortified all over again, I dutifully kept my eyes away from his general direction for the remainder of the meal. As I ate with more reservation than usual, my thoughts cycled through another eventful day.

Draco and the heartbreaking tale he'd told me the night before – our renewed friendship and the trouble it might cause.

Sirius Black…and our uncertain plans to find him and beg for his help.

Prim…my father…and the mysterious intruder near my home in Eturn Ally.

Madam Pomfrey and her offer to take me under her wing in the Hospital Wing.

My unexplainable sexual assault of Professor Snape – in the middle of class, no less!

And now…Elizabeth, Ezra, and Elisa…living proof that the legends of the Tigress were very much real…

It felt like I was forgetting something…something very important…when that something poked me in the side and stared at me with worried, green eyes.

"Are you okay, Gia?" Harry asked softly, leaning in close. "You stopped eating and you were starting to get pale again."

I stared at Harry's still innocent face, and wondered how much he hid behind those bright emerald eyes. I remembered that I'd agreed to help him get his schedule fixed to join me in self-study, and I realized that I hadn't been a very good friend, especially after how warmly he and the others had welcomed me.

I smiled reassuringly at the sweet boy and touched his hand briefly, hearing his pulse spike for a moment. "I'm fine Harry, thank you for asking. Do you have any homework you need help with after dinner?" I offered kindly.

Harry smiled brilliantly, a true genuine smile, and I found that it did something strange to me on the inside. "Actually, I could use a bit of help with Potions. You seem to just get it, and it just doesn't click for me. Think you could help me out?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course."

And when dinner concluded, all six of us rose and headed up to Gryffindor Tower together: the trio, Elizabeth, Neville, and me. Hermione buried her head in a book, Ron asked around for a chess opponent, and Elizabeth had Neville helping her out with the Herbology assignment. Harry and I curled up on one of the squishy loveseats with the first year Potions textbook on both of our legs. When Harry had complained, I told him that the best way to understand was to start from the basics. And so I had started from the very beginning, taking the time to explain in ways the book didn't, in order to help Harry understand why certain ingredients combined to make specific things happen. He asked a lot of questions, and we'd gotten through the first half of the book when Harry began yawning sporadically.

Grinning, I folded down the page we were on, closed the book, and stood up.

"Oi, I was –" Harry's words broke off with another forceful yawn, and he reached high over his head to stretch, his shirt coming up slightly to reveal a hard, toned stomach that immediately caught my attention, "reading that."

Laughing, I shook my head to clear away my confusing thoughts. "No way Harry, you look dead on your feet. We can finish tomorrow, I promise," I compromised.

"Fine," he grumbled.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I don't seem to remember you being this insistent on learning when I was trying to tutor you," the corners of her lips slightly upturned.

Harry poked his tongue out at her. "I don't know what you're talking about, Hermione," He said firmly, only to yawn again.

Giggling, I pushed him towards the boys' staircase until he abruptly turned around, causing me to bump into to his chest. Looking up at him, I saw something pass through Harry's eyes.

"You need sleep," I said slowly, feeling my own exhaustion catching up to me.

He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, and I found that I liked Harry's particular warmth much more than Snape's, or even Draco's. I hugged him back before letting go and slipping out of his arms. "Sleep, now," I said seriously, trying and failing to stop smiling.

Seemingly satisfied, Harry bid us all goodnight, and he and Ron headed up to the boy's dorm. Neville had long since escaped Elizabeth's intent stare as they studied and retired to bed, and she lounged across the couch Harry and I had vacated.

"Gia…" said Hermione quietly. She had stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the girls' dorm. She bit her lip, something I realized she did when she was nervous, thinking hard, or trying to decide if she wanted to ask a particular question. Finally, she shook her head. "Nevermind, it's nothing. Goodnight."

"Are you sure you're alright, Mione?" I offered, casually using the nickname I'd heard Ron and Harry use for her. She definitely noticed, but didn't seem to mind. "We could talk for a while if you need to?"

Hermione hesitated, clearly considering my offer, but shook her head again. "It's getting late anyway; I'll see you at breakfast."

"Only if you're sure…" I said, my words trailing. After confirming that she was fine, Hermione disappeared up the stairs.

"How odd…" I said, coming around the couch and plopping down on the opposite end from Elizabeth. She set my feet in her lap and began to absently caress my legs, tucking her own dainty feet under my bum to keep warm.

"You don't think Hermione's jealous, do you?" Elizabeth asked, breaking the silence.

I snorted and shook my head. "Hermione's never struck me as the jealous type," I said firmly. "Besides, what would she have to be jealous about?"

Elizabeth looked from where she'd been staring at the fire and met my eyes. "I mean…Harry and Ron are always going to have their male bond – they were friends with each other before they were friends with Hermione. And then you arrive, and nearly everyone here already knows you or wants to know you. We've even been getting closer – maybe she feels isolated."

My mouth opened to argue but then snapped shut as I really thought about what Elizabeth was saying. Hermione seemed to be the kind of female friend anyone would want – she was beautiful, bloody brilliant, loyal…

An idea began to form in my head.

"Am I going to hate whatever's causing that loony look on your face?" said Elizabeth, eyeing me warily.

"How good are you with girly stuff?" I asked suddenly, smiling wide.

"Well, I grew up with brothers and I'm not exactly the friendly sort," she replied sardonically.

"Then this can be for you, as much as Hermione," I was very excited at that point, "I was just thinking that Hermione could do with a good, old-fashioned girl's day – just the three of us. What do you think?"

"A _girl's_ day?" Elizabeth repeated, as if just the thought was enough to make her skin crawl.

"Yes! Shopping, makeovers, lunch – the whole nine! Oh come on, please? It'll be fun, I promise!" I pleaded, unleashing the full weight of my puppy eyes on her.

"Fine, fine, fine – put your bottom lip away before I bite it."

Suddenly, the air around us felt rather thick…charged even.

"Err – I should – umm…"

"Sneak off to wherever it is you sleep?" Elizabeth finished, raising a neat eyebrow.

"I –"

"You don't have to tell me, not until you're ready," she said firmly, gently removing my legs from her lap and climbing to her feet, stretching high overhead.

Rising to my own feet, I abruptly pulled the slightly taller girl into a tight embrace, feeling her arms instantly go around me. Her hair smelled sweet…fruity even – like coconuts and I buried my face in the side of her neck. We must've stood there, holding each other, for at least a solid five minutes.

"Go on then, you look dead on your feet too," said Elizabeth finally, pulling away. She brushed my wild hair away from my face again, caressing my cheek as she had earlier, and I leaned into the warm touch. "Goodnight Gia…"

"Goodnight Liz…" I murmured, highly disappointed as she finally pulled away fully, taking a step away.

"Liz?" she snorted.

"Well, Elizabeth is a bit of a mouthful," I complained playfully, gathering up my school books and things.

"Liz it is, then."

When I looked up, she had already gone.


	5. The Unforgivable Curses

**Chapter 5**

Wednesday continued on in the same vein as the previous two days – busy and hectic.

Wednesday's schedule was relatively light, and I spent most of my self-study periods meditating and exercising. Liz had skipped Ancient Runes again, promising me that she was well-prepared to take her OWLs, and had joined me for another afternoon run. During meals, I did my best to engage the trio and Neville in conversation, refusing to feel like I was neglecting them in the midst of everything else that was going on. Draco had stayed up with me in East Tower, talking late into the night about any and everything, and he'd eventually fallen asleep on the far side of the bed, at least three people's worth of space between us. When all of us were together, Hermione acted as a good buffer between Draco and the boys, but I could see that it was already wearing on her.

The most interesting class that week, by far, had to be Professor Moody's on Thursday afternoon. And though I dutifully paid attention in Transfiguration that morning, thoroughly impressing Professor McGonagall with my knowledge on the subject, my mind always wandered back to Moody.

The trio, Liz, and I were so anxious to get good seats in Moody's first lesson, , especially after all that the twins and Lee Jordan had told us about him that we arrived early. But it seemed that the entire class had the same idea because there was still a queue outside the classroom.

"Come on," I urged my friends, pulling Harry by the hand, "let's go in or we won't get decent seats."

We entered the room before anyone else and found five desks positioned directly in front of the teacher's desk. Taking out our copies of _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_, we sat impatiently and waited. Usually, before class started the students would chatter until the teacher called for attention, but we were all unusually quiet. As the seconds ticked by, I inhaled deeply and frowned. It wasn't that it smelled bad in the classroom, but something certainly smelled off. There was rising tension in the air, and a few confused mutterings began around the class.

Before I even said anything, Liz leaned in close from my left. "Do you sense that?" she whispered.

I nodded and nudged Harry, who was seated on my right. "Be ready," I murmured, already slipping my wand into my hand, "Something doesn't feel right."

Liz passed along the message to Hermione, and Harry did the same with Ron. Wands clutched tightly in our laps, we sat tersely as the minutes ticked by. Just when I felt as though I'd explode from the tension, exactly five minutes passed since class was supposed to start and the door blasted open. A large figure, covered head to toe in black, burst into the classroom and immediately shot a series of spells around the class.

"Bloody hell –" Ron gasped, nearly falling out of his seat as we all burst into action.

I didn't know if the spells were harmless or not, and I nearly grinned as Liz and I sent up powerful shield charms at the same time – it was almost as if she could read my mind. The shields not only protected the students, but rebounded the spells back at the caster.

It seemed that the intruder had not expected that and his attention focused on Liz and me. I could tell from his stance that he was well aware of Harry, Ron, and Hermione – all of whom had spread out and had their wands trained steadily on the masked man. Breathing deeply, I relinquished a very small bit of control over my magic and felt the immediate rush. Beside me, Liz relaxed into a steady dueling stance, her purple eyes much brighter now, blazing even.

In the very brief moment that passed, the entire class seemed to hold its breath – no one so much as blinked. The second the intruder twitched, the fight commenced.

He was bloody brilliant.

First, he had an amazing repertoire of defensive and offensive spells that would've easily taken the trio out of the fight if Liz and I hadn't been shielding them while they fought. He had no trouble fighting all five of us at once, but after a short while, I noticed the trio getting tired. I also noticed that the man didn't cast anything stronger than a fifth year spell…and suspicion began to form.

As I ducked under two well-aimed stunners, Liz summoned a desk from the intruders left and sent it flying at him, forcing him to blow it to bits or be bowled over under its weight. Throwing out my hearing, I caught the telltale clunk of wood on the hard floor. A grin bloomed across my lips, even as Hermione and Ron were simultaneously stunned, forcing Harry, Liz, and I to fall back, covering each other.

While Harry's spells had awesome power behind them, he clearly didn't know a wide range of them. It was much easier to protect three people rather than five, but as he dove for cover behind a desk, the intruder hit him with a disarmer and he flew into the desk behind him. Meeting Liz's grin, she shot me a fanged grin and nodded.

This was our chance.

Liz crouched low on top of a desk to the left and I did the same from the floor to the right – the moment the intruder's attention had been drawn to Harry, we both snarled and lunged forward at the same time. The man had clearly not expected the physical, double-attack and didn't have time to brace himself as the three of us went down in a tangle of limbs. Though the man was much bigger than Liz and I, we had supernatural strength on our side.

My father had always taught me that the only way to win a fight was to fight dirty.

I had no qualms about shoving my knee into the man's crotch at the same time that Liz jabbed the man in the throat. He choked and gurgled, one hand flying to his neck and the other naturally went to protect and cover his bits – he froze as two wands pressed into his neck, the tips already glowing with the beginning of a curse.

"One more move and Filch'll be cleaning your brains off the floor," I said icily.

The sweet smell of fear drifted towards me after that little threat. The class seemed frozen in place, still holding their collective breaths. I heard Harry's heavy breathing as he groaned and struggled to rise to his feet.

"_Finite!_" Liz snapped, canceling the concealment charm that had obscured the intruder's features. And though the class gasped in shock, Liz and I smirked down at the appraising and strained face of our Professor, Alistair Mad-Eye Moody.

"Let's see…" he said gruffly, his voice still carried a bit of pain. I had put a lot of force into kneeing him. "Thirty points for being alert and prepared to respond to an unexpected attack; twenty points for not only protecting yourselves, but also your comrades; twenty points for your wide range of spells, both offensive and defensive; fifteen points for using a physical attack, something hardly any magical person would even consider and," he grinned rather creepily, "twenty points for fighting dirty, which is after all, the only way to really win."

I guess my father wasn't the only one who lived by that motto.

Anyone watching the huge hourglasses in the entrance hall that kept track of House points would be stunned as rubies flooded into the bottom half. If my mental math was correct, we'd just earned Gryffindor one hundred and five points in one go.

"Very well Moon, Grey – if you'd allow me up to teach my class."

I raised my eyebrow.

"You burst into class and start attacking students, and you think we're just going to let you up?" I asked rhetorically. "How do we know you're the real Moody?"

The silence seemed to be deafening.

"I was pretty acquainted with your mother, Grey, so much so that I know when you eat cabbage your –"

"Alright! Alright!" I said loudly, my ears burning as snickers began behind me. "You're the real Moody, please just stop!"

Liz and I lowered our wands and grabbed one of his hands each, pulling him to his feet with an easy tug. I picked up his wand, which had fallen during our scuffle on the floor, and handed it back to him, handle first.

"Sorry for – you know – kneeing you –"

"And jabbing you in the throat –" Liz added. Several people laughed nervously around the room.

"Nonsense, nonsense," said Moody gruffly as he adjusted his wooden leg, "never apologize for trying to survive. Doing anything it takes to win a fight and CONSTANT VIGILANCE," the class jumped, a few girls squeaked, and I winced as I felt a stab of pain in my ears, "are two of many important lessons that will keep you alive!"

Using magic, we helped Professor Moody get the class back in order before returning to our seats between a newly-revived Hermione and Harry, who was rubbing his shoulder and glaring at Moody. I nudged him. "Oh stop it," I whispered, "it was a good introduction."

"You weren't blasted into a bloody desk!" Harry hissed.

Professor Moody leaned on his desk and looked around at our class, examining everyone's face at least once, before glancing down at our desks. "You can put those away," he growled, "those books, you won't need them."

That seemed to be code for an interesting class period, because the atmosphere in the classroom became less tense and more excited. "Now, let's take the next few minutes to analyze the rights and wrongs of what just happened. Who would like to start?" Moody asked, easily slipping into teacher mode.

Though my hand tingled with the urge to rise, I wanted to give someone else a chance. When no one else volunteered, I rolled my eyes and raised my hand.

"Yes, Grey?"

"Well, for one, instead of immediately diving for cover or throwing up a shield, most of the class sat in their chairs, watching as if this were a Quidditch match," I began calmly, without one ounce of accusation.

Professor Moody nodded. "Excellent beginning. You are all reaching a point in your lives where you may be called upon for help in an emergency. You are young, but you are not children anymore. You cannot rely on your parents or older siblings to protect you from the bad guys forever. NOW is the time to begin learning your strengths and weaknesses, and building on both. Before you graduate here, if going for your wand or diving for cover in the face of danger is not your first immediate response…well, good luck to you."

I suppose no one, including myself, had expected Moody's first lecture to go in this direction but it made sense in a dark kind of way. Sure, we had a few years until we were really in the real world, but that's not the time to learn how to protect ourselves. By then, it's too late.

"There are three main important elements that determine who survives a dangerous situation, and whose body has to be identified by the Aurors," said Moody bluntly. "These three things are: How willfully you put yourself in a dangerous situation, how fast you recognize what's _really_ going on, and how prepared you are to deal with said situation. When you take a step out your front door every day, you are willingly walking into unknown danger because you can't see the future and decide if that morning stroll is worth an AK to the back. We'll get back to that at the beginning of our next lesson."

He paused, taking in the darkly fascinated and horrified faces of my classmates, and allowed that image to sink in before he took out a register, and began calling names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.

"Right then," he said, as he tucked the parchment into his robes, "there are countless dangers in every aspect of life, and every decision can either bring you to Death's front door or allow you to live another day. Though some may think that Dark creatures are the worst things out there," Moody almost grinned, "the real dangers are the people sitting right beside you. Who's to say one of your so-called friends won't pull out there wand right now and try to blow your head off? I know it's possible, because I've been there."

This caused almost the entire to give the people seated beside them uneasy and suspicious looks. I noticed, however, that Ron, Hermione, and Harry all looked almost defiantly at Moody, never even glancing at each other.

"Betrayal is a very real danger, possibly the worst, because it affects you mentally, emotionally, and physically. Always keep in mind that you're biggest enemies are the ones who know the most about you, who know your strengths and weaknesses, and how to exploit them. The people you consider your friends." Moody's voice was hard and unpitying. "Friendships can save your life when in need of an ally, but they can also bring you down from the inside out. Lesson for the day…choose your friends wisely."

The man was more brilliant than I'd ever hoped to imagine. He wasn't just teaching us to wave our wands and cast a bunch of spells, but actual life lessons that could keep us alive.

"As I was saying, most people think that Dark creatures are the worst things out there, and I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures, but there are worst things out there. One of the most common threats in the wizarding world is the possibility of being –?"

"Cursed," said Hermione suddenly, almost startling me as she had been completely silent since the fight at the beginning of the lesson.

"Precisely, Miss Granger. You're more likely to get cursed than you are to be attacked by a werewolf or kappa, and you're very, very behind on dealing with curses," Moody said, shaking his head. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark –"

My heart dropped.

"What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.

"Don't interrupt Ron!" Hermione hissed.

Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at Ron, who looked extremely apprehensive. But after a tense moment, Moody smiled – the effect making his heavily scarred face looked more twisted and contorted than ever.

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody asked. "Your father got me out a very tight corner a few days ago… Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore… One year and then it's back to my quiet retirement." He gave a harsh, almost bitter, laugh and then clapped his gnarled hands together.

"As I was saying, curses are the most imminent threat you face in the world we live in today, besides a serious quidditch accident or over dosage of a love potion," Moody said sardonically. "They come in varying strengths and forms but there's one thing that all curses have in common – they are meant to harm. If someone, even if it's someone you've known your entire life, shoots a curse at you, do not assume that he or she is simply trying to play a prank or scare you."

Glancing around, I saw that Moody still very much had the entire class's undivided attention. Liz and I shared a look, and she raised her eyebrows in place of a shrug.

"Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it until then. I say that's bullocks," Moody growled seriously. "The sooner you know what you're up against, and how to defend against it, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? Another reason why knowledge is power!"

I found myself nodding in agreement with that phrase. I followed it myself.

"I'm not saying that you can learn everything from a book," Moody snorted in disgust, "some things can only be learned through experience, but the more you know, the better chance you have of surviving any type of situation. A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. But if you recognize the curse and react quickly enough, you may be able to respond accordingly. Recognize and react," he punctuated, "remember that."

"You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to be VIGILANT at all times! So – do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Ron's and Hermione's. Moody chose Hermione.

"That would be the three Unforgivable Curses, sir, which are all punishable by an automatic life sentence in Azkaban," She states clearly.

"Five points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger. You are exactly right."

"I never understood that," I said suddenly, sitting up a bit straighter.

Moody's eyes, the normal and magical one, shot to me and he raised an eyebrow. "It seems you have something to add, Grey. Please," he gestured to the class, "enlighten us."

"Well," I said slowly, "the Ministry gives the harshest sentence to those three curses more than any other, but the simple fact is that there are curses out there that would make the Unforgivables look like a tickling charm."

Moody looked a bit more intently at me. "Would you care to give us an example or two?"

"There's the Entrail-Expelling curse, which should be self-explanatory," I started, "and there's also the Lycacomia curse, which can change someone into a werewolf. I personally believe that no one should have to endure that sort of pain and suffering, and perhaps that should be an Unforgivable instead of the Imperius Curse. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of compulsion and controlling spells and potions, so why should the Imperius be an Unforgivable instead of one of the others?"

"Excellent, excellent examples Grey," Moody agreed, "and though you are very correct about there being worse things than what the Unforgivables can do, what exactly are they?"

Once again, several hands were slowly raised, but Moody picked on Ron this time.

"Err," Ron said tentatively, "my dad told me about one…the Imperius Curse, right?"

"Ah yes," Moody nodded appreciatively, "your father would know all about that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse." He got heavily to his feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it.

Even as my skin crawled, I saw Ron recoil violently on Harry's right and made a mental note to remember that Ron was afraid of spiders. Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that we could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"

The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly and then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, he was the puppeteer and the spider was the puppet. The spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance. Everyone was laughing, except the trio, Liz, Moody, and me.

I gritted my teeth as I watched the sick performance, and suddenly I wasn't as enthusiastic about learning about these curses. I already knew what those curses could do and I found myself wondering if this is how house-elves felt when they've been given an order. I could never give Prim an order, not after this.

"Total control," Moody said quietly as the spider balled itself up and bean to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, or throw itself down one of your throats…"

Ron gave a harsh shudder.

"Who needs the bloody Cruciatus Curse when they have this," Liz muttered, clenching her fists in her lap. "Just watching this is torture enough, but to have to experience it…"

"Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse," Moody said, and I knew he was referring to the days when Voldemort had been at the height of power, back when most of our parents had been fighting either against him or with him.

"Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act and who was acting of their own free will. The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, startling the enraptured class. Professor Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.

"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"

Hermione's hand flew into the air, as did Neville's, a bit more cautiously. My heartbeat picked up as I realized what must be going through Neville's head right now. I knew exactly which curse he was about to say, because I had gone with him and his grandmother once to see the result of it in the hospital – in the form of his parents.

"Yes?" Moody said, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on Neville.

"The – the Cruciatus Curse," Neville said in a small, but hard voice.

"Neville…" I whispered sadly.

Moody was staring very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes. "Your name's Longbottom?" he asked. Neville nodded, his chin coming up slightly.

That's my boy…

Harry had told me that morning at breakfast that Neville had changed a bit since I had come to Hogwarts. He spoke more, he volunteered in class… Harry had said it was like he had a stronger spirit with me around. And though Neville was still shy, as he had been when we were kids, he was very slowly coming out of his shell.

Turning back to the class at large, Moody reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Moody said. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!" The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretenses, Ron pushed his chair backward, as far away from Moody's desk as possible. Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and I tensed as he muttered, "Crucio!"

At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but I was sure that if it could have been given a voice, it would have been screaming. Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently. The entire class, including Harry, Hermione, and Ron, were staring at the tortured spider with frozen horror, wide eyed and jaws dropped. Looking around at Neville, I saw that his skin was pale, his fists were clenched, knuckles white, and his eyes were staring wildly at the torture session.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted suddenly, her eyes glistening. "Professor, stop it please!"

She seemed to have broken the entranced spell the class had fallen under. Every turned away and many of them looked as though they were going to be sick.

Moody raised his wand.

The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch. "Reducio!" Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back in the jar. "Pain," Moody said softly, "comes in all levels and forms, but you don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse. That one was very popular once too."

I shuddered, an image of the world at war, people on the street being crucio'd flitting through my mind, before Draco's face popped into my head. I couldn't force away the image of a younger Draco, helpless and screaming, as his father put him under the curse for trying to protect his mother. My stomach heaved and I gasped, trying to take a deep breath. Harry immediately leaned closer to me, his own face pale.

"Gia?"

"I'm fine Harry, just a little shaken, you know?" I whispered. He set his mouth in a grim line and nodded.

"Right?" Moody said, "Anyone know the last one?"

I couldn't help but look around, wondering which one of the other students would seal the fate of that last spider. It was clear what was about to happen, inevitable even, and now I worried about Harry even as I watched Neville. He was still incredibly pale and though his head was down, I could see his body shaking from where I sat.

Liz's eyes were still a more vivid purple and her body positively vibrated with barely restrained power beside me. Though she was shaking, her hand still rose steadily in the air. I allowed my hand to find her right thigh and squeezed it in silent support.

"Avada Kedavra," she whispered, almost forcing herself to say the words, as if she couldn't bear having them leaving her lips. Many looked uneasily around at her, including Ron, who was wide eyed.

"Ah," Moody said, another sick smile twisting his lopsided mouth, "yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra…the Killing Curse." He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled frantically around the bottom of the jar.

Is that how Harry's parents died?

Is this how my mother died?

My stomach heaved again.

I was only too aware that my paternal grandparents had not been granted a quick or painless death – I'd studied that damn file from my father's study too many times to count. But a small part of me still hoped – still prayed – that my father had granted my mother that final blessing – a quick and clean death – after betraying the woman he had vowed to love and protect for the rest of his life.

Moody placed the spider upon the desktop, where it started to scuttle frantically across the wooden surface. And though I was now being haunted with conjured images of what my mother's death must've been like, I gripped Harry's hand tightly in my own, Liz's thigh in my left hand.

"Harry…don't look…" I whispered pleadingly.

But it was too late.

It was almost as though Harry's body had shut down, and wouldn't allow him to look away. His emerald green eyes were pulsing in a way that reminded me of the curse we were about to witness. Harry wasn't even breathing, and his eyes were locked on the scene directly in front of us. Suddenly, I dearly regretted taking these front row seats.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and though I wanted to clamp my eyes shut tight, I couldn't move any more than anyone else.

It seemed that time slowed down in that very moment, and I could hear nothing besides the thundering of my own heart in my ears. I didn't even hear Moody utter those dreaded words, but I felt the dark magic in the air. I felt the blast of air that accompanied that flash of nearly blinding green light as it shot from the tip of Moody's wand and reached for the spider. I watched it in slow motion as the curse inched more closely to the spider, and its resignation to its fate, as it stopped trying to run around the desk. It was almost heartbreaking to see the spider lose its will to live, but more so as the curse finally made contact and it rolled over, unmarked, but unmistakably dead.

The world returned to normal, as did my hearing, as several students stifled cries. Harry had my hand in a death grip, but he still wasn't moving or breathing, his eyes locked on the corpse of the third spider.

"Not nice," Moody said calmly after he'd vanished the spider's remains. "Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."

It seemed that the intent stares of the entire class revived Harry because he finally took a deep breath and looked up at Moody with such ice in his eyes, that their normally deep green was almost transparent. Harry said nothing, but I smelled the harsh scent of anger and heard his pulse pick up.

Moody seemed to know the reaction his close proximity had on Harry, because he stepped back and leaned onto his desk again. "Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it – you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get more than a nosebleed," He lectured.

But as I watched Harry's eyes get paler and paler until they were almost clear with the faintest hint of green, I wasn't so sure about that. I didn't know what was happening to Harry, but I sensed something changing within him. It was boiling up slowly, and I knew that sooner or later, Harry was going to blow.

Liz nudged me with her shoulder, having sensed the change as well, but I shrugged, as clueless as she was.

"…doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it. Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worse is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

I peered at Harry as Moody continued on – he seemed to be having some sort of internal struggle. One minute, his eyes would begin darkening to their natural green, only to fade and pale again a few seconds later. This continued throughout the rest of the lesson as we took notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke, but I felt that boiling inside of Harry reach a dangerous level.

"Before you leave this classroom today," Moody said only a minute before the bell was due to ring, "ask yourself: Am I willing to commit physical violence, even murder, in self-defense?"

It was a relief when the bell rang, and we packed up our things and hurried from the classroom.

As soon as we were a little ways down the corridor, I grabbed Harry and made him look me in the eye. He seemed to be worlds away judging from the partially glazed look in his eye, and at the moment, they were icily pale again.

"What the hell is going on with his eyes?" said Ron suddenly, jumping forward. Hermione hurried over, and as Harry swayed I threw his arm over my shoulder to steady him. Liz – bless her – slipped Harry's other arm around her shoulder, shifting and taking on half of his weight.

"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked quickly, trying to see where she could help.

"I don't know," I grunted honestly, "but we need to get him somewhere private before someone notices."

Ron and Hermione nodded, and she quickly grabbed Harry's bag. Before we could get moving though, Hermione stopped us. "Look," She said sadly.

"Hermione, this –"

"Look!" she said more insistently, cutting off Ron.

Shifting around, we peered up a side passage and saw Neville standing there alone, staring at the wall with those same angrily blazing eyes he'd worn in the classroom during Moody's demonstration.

I was torn.

I couldn't leave Neville there after witnessing such a traumatic thing, but Harry obviously needed help. I had to make a decision, and fast…

"Ron, come here, hurry!" I ordered.

The red-haired boy immediately snapped to attention and hurried around to where I was, and I slowly shifted Harry's arm around his shoulder so that he could help Liz hold him up. I didn't comment on the fact that Liz could probably carry Harry by herself if she wanted to.

"Get him up to the seventh floor as quickly as you can and I'll follow soon. Hurry!"

Ron and Hermione hesitated.

"Liz!" I said insistently.

"You heard her," Liz demanded firmly, taking a couple steps forward and forcing Ron to follow suit.

I only watched them walk away for a second, before I turned down the side passage and placed a gentle hand on Neville's shoulder. I stood in front of him until his eyes refocused and as soon as our eyes met, I pulled the poor boy into a tight hug. Immediately, I felt him grab onto me in a similar way that Draco had a few nights ago. His body shook and I rubbed his back, whispering soothing words.

"I k-knew I shouldn't have looked Gia, b-but I couldn't stop m-myself!" He whispered as he held onto me for dear life. "It was horrible! It was like I could hear my parents own screams coming from that spider. I –"

"Shh Neville, it's okay, shh," I murmured softly. "I understand, I really do, and it'll be okay. When…when was the last time you visited your parents?"

"For my birthday," He whispered sadly. "They didn't even recognize me, not that I expected them to, it just –"

"Never gets any easier, no matter how much times passes?" I finished, pulling back and looking Neville directly in the eye. "You're stronger than you know Neville, that much I can promise you. And one day you'll learn to live around that gaping hole in your chest. I know it still hurts, probably unbearably sometimes…but you're not alone alright? I'm here now, and I'm not leaving you again."

I reached up and wiped away Neville's tears. "I promise I won't abandon you again, Neville. I promise."

Before Neville could respond, however, an odd clunking noise arrived behind us, and we turned to see Professor Moody limping toward us. When he spoke, it was in a much lower and gentler growl than we had yet heard.

"It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on… We can have a cup of tea…"

Neville looked reluctant to be anywhere near Moody, let alone being left alone in his office with him. He neither moved nor spoke. Moody turned his magical eye upon me.

"You all right, are you, Grey?"

"I'm fine," I bit out, pushing down my anger at the man, "sir."

Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed me. Then he said, "You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe, but you've got to know. No point pretending… I know you understand that Giavana," and my breath caught as he said my full name, "perhaps better than anyone else in that class, besides Potter. Well… come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."

With a sigh of resignation, Neville began walking away with Moody. Shaking away my saddening thoughts, I shadow-stepped up to the hallway where Isavéla's portrait was hidden and opened it before using my senses to find my group of friends.

Hermione and Ron were both clutching their sides and gasping for breath, leaving Liz to prop up Harry's body alone. Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I abandoned all pretenses and tossed Harry over my shoulder with ease, carrying him away.

"That's one way to do it," I heard Liz mutter amusedly behind me.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, taking another gasping breath.

"Where are you going Gia? The Gryffindor common room is the other way!" called Hermione worriedly.

I continued quickly as Harry began convulsing, and heard the other three running after me. As I turned into the dead end corridor that concealed East Tower's location, I heard Ron and Hermione gasp.

"Where'd she go?" Ron exclaimed.

"Gia! Where are you?" Hermione called, panicking.

I was confused…but eventually figured that only those of my bloodline could even see the dead-end corridor on their own.

"I'll come back for you, give me a minute!" I called back, before hurrying up the staircase and into the common room. Running straight to my bedroom, I deposited Harry on the bed and bound him with a spell to prevent him flailing and hurting himself, or biting his tongue off.

One quick glance back and I was racing back to where I'd left Ron, Hermione, and Liz. It was odd. I could see them clearly as if there was nothing between us, but they were looking around as though there was a wall between us. Reaching through the barrier, I grabbed Ron and Hermione in either hand and yanked them through, reaching back for Liz – bringing them to my side of the barrier.

As I led them along, I spoke quickly. "Don't ask questions about this place, I'll tell you once I figure out what's happening to Harry. Don't distract me, and don't touch anything."

The group barely had time to admire the common room before I dragged them up to my bedroom where Harry was still bound on my bed. They stood a few steps back in order to give me space, and I cast several spells over Harry, frowning as I checked the results. Cautiously, I stepped forward and felt Harry's sweaty forehead.

"He's burning up," I muttered.

A second later, I yelped in pain and jerked my hand away from Harry's skin.

"What? What happened?" Ron yelled immediately.

"His skin shocked me!" I responded, stunned. Keeping about an inch of distance between my skin and Harry's, I waved my hand over his body. "It feels as though his skin has an electrical current running over it." I wracked my brain trying to figure out what was going on and how to fix him, when a suspicion began forming in my mind.

"How old is Harry?" I asked slowly.

"He just turned fourteen on July 31st," Hermione answered quickly, staring at Harry with such concern in her eyes.

"Does he ever have trouble with accidental magic or controlling spells?" I continued.

'You don't think –?" Liz asked inquiringly.

"I'll let you know in a second," was my short response, before I looked impatiently at Ron and Hermione. "Well?"

Ron and Hermione shared a long look and briefly explained Harry's incident two summers ago, when he'd accidently inflated his Aunt. Breathing a sigh of relief, I conjured four chairs beside my bed and gestured for the three of them to join me. "He'll be okay; I think I know what's going on."

"Well?" Ron prompted, almost impatiently.

"Well, you both know that magical children aren't born with all of their magic at once, it grows and develops as the child does," I began. "Every few years, a magical child should undergo a magical growth spurt, which causes the child to grow in size in order for their bodies to be able to handle the influx of power. After these growth spurts, the child will usually experience more bouts of accidental magic before the new magic settles, at least until the next growth spurt occurs. Things like traumatic events or intense emotion can induce an early growth spurt as your magic's way of providing more power in times of distress, in case you need it."

"So what you're saying is…" Hermione said slowly, "that because Harry had to witness the use of the Killing Curse in class today, it triggered some sort of reaction in his magic and induced an early magical growth spurt."

I could've kissed Hermione right then.

"Exactly, Hermione. And judging by his current symptoms, this particular growth spurt will be a powerful one. I'll help Harry control his new power as best as I can, but the best thing for him is to know that you two will support him and not judge him."

His friends nodded in firm agreement, and I was relieved to know that Harry would have a solid support system to help him through this.

I did my best to ease Harry's fever and keep him comfortable as he went through the intense process of receiving a large influx of magic into his core, but beyond that, there was nothing any of us could do besides wait and see what happened. To pass the time, I picked up the two books I had taken from my home library and tucked them away in my trunk in my closet. Returning to my seat, I summoned parchment, ink, a quill, and a textbook to use as a hard surface to write on. Charming the inkwell to float beside me, I wrote out a letter to Gnarlkin, finally informing him of the demise of his owl, my apology and offer to buy him a new one, as well as inquiring as to any leads on the intruder that had been picking at the wards around my house. About an hour later, my ears twitched as I picked up on the rumbling stomachs of Ron and Hermione.

"Oh, how rude of me!" I said, mentally berating myself. "Prim!"

Immediately, my house-elf popped into the room and curtsied before smiling up at me. It seemed that she was happier and healthier than ever – she positively beamed. "What can Prim do for Mistress Gia?" she asked excitedly.

"It's great to see you too, Prim. Would you mind bringing up some dinner and snacks for the four of us?" I asked.

"It shall be done, Mistress Gia!" Prim nodded, before popping away.

"You have a personal house-elf?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Of course, most pureblood families do. But Prim is much more family than a servant," I said, shrugging.

Within minutes, Hermione, Ron, Liz, and I were quietly eating our dinner as we watched Harry for any sign of change. He'd finally stop thrashing about and convulsing, and simply lied there motionlessly. However, anytime I came within a few inches of him, I could feel that same electrical energy flowing around him. His physical features didn't look too much different, but I knew that that could change by morning. At this point, it was almost eleven at night and Harry hadn't stirred in the past hour. We were all getting tired but none of us wanted to look away, in case Harry woke up.

"It's late –"

"We're not leaving him." Ron said immediately, even as he yawned and tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"I figured that and was going to offer any of the spare rooms here – there's plenty," I finished, grinning as Ron flushed.

"Where is here anyway, Gia? Is this where you've been sleeping since the first night?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Yes, this is where I'll be living during my time at Hogwarts. As for what this place is, I'll try to explain more when we have time."

Standing up, Ron and Hermione both murmured their goodnights to Harry, unsure if he could even hear them. Liz remained seated and I didn't say anything, instead I led the other two back through the double-doors and out into the walkway.

"You two can literally pick any room you want, it doesn't matter to me," I offered graciously as the two finally got a chance to take in the extravagance of the common room.

"Wow," Ron and Hermione breathed.

"I know," I said, laughing softly. "I'll send Prim to retrieve some night clothes for you both, as well as your uniforms for tomorrow. Everything else you might need should already be stocked in the rooms. I'll leave my bedroom door unlocked, let me know if either of you need anything."

"Thank you Gia, and goodnight," said Hermione, a brilliant smile blooming on her lips as stepped further down the walkway and chose the room to my right. Ron took the bedroom that Draco had used before – I wonder how much it'd bother him if he knew.

After having Prim deliver the promised clothing to Ron and Hermione, I returned to my own bedroom only to find Liz coming out of the bathroom wrapped in one of my black towels, hair dripping.

"I hope you don't mind – you were taking forever," she said calmly, though her eye twinkled playfully.

I couldn't find words even if I wanted to. My eyes traveled from her slightly wavy hair down her silky smooth pecan skin, all the way down those toned legs to her dainty, neatly painted toes. Realizing that I'd been caught staring, my cheeks flushed and I scratched my head.

"Please, make yourself at home," I said sarcastically, trying to recover even as curious tingles erupted in places I'd rather not mention. "The closet's over there," I gestured towards the other double doors, "We're about the same size – help yourself to whatever."

I brushed past Liz before she could say anything else that would have me blushing like a first year and entered the bathroom, firmly closing and locking the door behind me. While I showered, I thought about all that had occurred that day, from Transfiguration to five minutes ago. It seemed that each day here at Hogwarts brought new problems, new mysteries, and new surprises.

"If I have to deal with anything else, I'm going to scream," I muttered, but even as I said that, I had a feeling that this was hardly the beginning of my troubles at Hogwarts.

When I was done showering, I was just about to head back into my bedroom in my towel when I remembered my additional company. A bit warmer than usual, I hurried through the room and into the closet before Liz could say anything. I went about my usual routine, lotioning up my body before picking out some comfortable pajamas. It was as I pulled on cotton shorts that I realized I had an audience.

"You don't mind, do you?" Liz asked, her eyes dark and full with something I couldn't quite identify.

"How long have you been watching?" I countered, rubbing my towel over my hair once more, struggling to appear calmer than I felt. My heart thundered and I knew Liz could hear it as well as I could.

"Since you scurried in here after your shower," was her sardonic reply.

"I don't scurry," I said immediately, "I _stride_."

"You want to tell me about these?" Liz suddenly asked quietly, closing the distance between us and lifting my shirt to reveal the mess of scars that covered my stomach and back.

"Not really, no," I said, snatching my shirt from her a bit harsher than I meant to. I yanked my hair up into a messy bun, securing it with a hair tie.

Breezing out of the closet, I went to check on Harry and saw that he appeared much more relax. In fact, he was now comfortably sprawled across the entire bed. Shaking my head, I waved my hand and took a deep, relaxing breath as a fire sprang to life in the fireplace. Snatching a couple large pillows off the bed, I summoned a thick blanket and began cocooning myself on the chaise lounge beneath the window. Wiggling around until I found a comfortable spot, I lifted up the edge of the blanket.

"You coming?" I said, looking to where Liz stood almost hesitantly near the foot of the bed. Without a word, she came around to the makeshift bed I'd created and climbed in easily beside me.

Somehow, Liz ended up behind me and we shared a pillow, her toned arm sliding around my waist and pulling me close to her body. The feeling of her chest pressing against my back was distracting enough without her breath tickling the back of my neck. Waving my hand absently, the fire dimmed a bit lower, plunging the room into a dim, cozy light. Snuggling back closer to Liz, I slipped my fingers between hers and allowed myself to truly relax.

Within seconds, I was sound asleep.


	6. History Lesson

**Chapter 6**

BOOM!

An explosion rocked the entire room and a discharge of immense energy accompanied it, roughly jerking me out of my deep, cozy sleep. I automatically clenched my eyes shut, somewhat expecting to be thrown back or hurt but when I felt nothing, I slowly opened my eyes. To my surprise and amazement, I was encased in what seemed to be a sphere of swirling black wisps – not only me, but Liz seemed unharmed as well; startled and alarmed, but unharmed.

Shadows, I realized as I reached out to touch them, only for my hand to go through. They had the same appearance of the shadows that I used in order to travel from one place to another but they had never done anything like this. Finally, the black wisps dispelled and I looked upon my room.

Or at least, what was left of it…

Every piece of furniture, including the enormous bed, had been reduced to charred rubble, and the walls were burned black. The doors to my bathroom and closet seemed unharmed and remained closed, but everything else was destroyed…besides me, Liz, and the chaise lounge that we were still curled up on.

"Decoration change?" Liz whispered, hardly daring to raise her voice, even when using sarcasm.

Grabbing my wand, I slowly stood up, feeling heat from the burned floor beneath me seep into my socks. My first thought was that the fireplace had somehow exploded, but as I crept toward it, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Floor's hot – be careful," I muttered as Liz began to rise.

Harry!

I suddenly became frantic as I searched through the piles of smoldering wood and unidentifiable furniture parts. Liz jumped in and we used magic to sift through it all, but my panic mounted as we saw no sign of Harry, dead or alive.

Banging began against my bedroom door.

"Gia! Are you and Harry alright?" Hermione shouted through the door.

"We felt the explosion! What the bloody hell is going on?" shouted Ron.

Running over to the door, I yanked it open and it took me a second to realize that I had tears streaming down my cheeks. "I don't know what happened!" I wailed. "I woke up because of the explosion, but my magic protected me and – and Liz. My room's completely destroyed but I can't find Harry!"

Stunned and horrified, Ron and Hermione ran into the ruins of my bedroom and frantically searched through the blackened bits and pieces. After several useless minutes of searching and no sign of their friend, Hermione sank to her knees as tears welled up in her eyes, and Ron looked bewildered and terrified. Just as I stepped toward Hermione, intending to comfort her until we could figure out what to do next, we all heard a familiar scream coming from the common room. Looking at each other, we bolted back through the double doorway and out onto the walkway in time to see a blackened figure drop to the floor.

Practically flying down the stairs, I dropped to my knees beside the person and turned it on its back. Watery emerald green eyes looked up at me and though he was clearly in pain, Harry somehow found a way to summon a smile for me.

"I must be in heaven," he muttered dreamily, "and I bet you're the most beautiful angel here."

Blushing brightly, I gently lifted Harry's head into my lap and stroked his cheek, rubbing off some of the soot. "Harry, you're not dead and I'm no angel. I'm Gia, remember?" I murmured softly.

"Gia?" He repeated slowly, before realization dawned in his eyes and he sat up quickly. "Merlin, I'm alive!"

Taken aback at his sudden energy, I got to my feet and pulled him up. "Yes, now would you care to explain what the hell happened to my room?" I growled.

Suddenly sheepish, Harry scratched the back of his head. "Well, I remember Moody's lesson," his face darkened, "and then being led somewhere by those three. After that, things get a bit fuzzy. I remember being really hot and my entire body felt as though it was burning from the inside out, but I couldn't move or call out for help. I vaguely remember hearing voices, definitely yours Gia."

My lip twitched as I quickly suppressed a smile and tried to appear serious. "What else do you remember?"

Harry took a minute to glance at Liz, Ron, and Hermione, who were staring at him, hanging onto his every word. "Well, I woke up – the sun was already up so it couldn't have been too long ago – and I felt weird, stretched out even."

It was then that I noticed that Harry was, in fact, several inches taller now. His body had also filled out some, but would develop nicely with larger meals and regular exercise. His hair was curlier now, and his face had lost more of its childish roundness. In all, he finally looked older than a twelve-year old and I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how much handsomer he was now.

"I felt as though something was bubbling up inside my stomach, like a sort of pressure in my gut, and I tried to release it. There was a blinding light and I did hear an explosion, but I must've passed out. That's the last thing I remember before waking up a minute ago," Harry finished tiredly.

With the information Harry had just given me, and the odd symptoms he'd shown the night before, I could probably piece together what was happening to him but I'd have to test some things out first.

Sighing deeply, I tried my best not to sound accusing or angry.

"Well, whatever caused the explosion completely decimated my room – reduced to rubble. It's nothing a few house-elves and some galleons can't fix in a day or two, but we'll talk about that later. Right now, we have to get ready for class."

I had to give Harry the watered down version of what had began inside of him the night before, but we were pressed for time and I finally shooed him into the bathroom to shower. Ron and Hermione prepared in the rooms they'd chosen last night, and Liz and I used the walk-in to don our uniforms. We didn't speak a word about last night, but I found that my thoughts kept revolving around Harry and I had no time to ponder my confusing feelings regarding Liz.

If my thoughts were correct, then Harry would have a long, precarious road ahead of him in trying to control his new power. Of course, I'd help him in any way I can but there were some things that Harry would have to figure out on his own. Almost simultaneously, Liz and I reached out to adjust each other's tie, sharing a small, tired smile. My eyes trailed after Liz as she sauntered out of the closet and then I admired myself in the mirror, my attention being drawn to the black and white signet ring that rested on my left hand. I absently twisted the damn thing around my finger, feeling an odd connection with the two faces that peered up at me.

"Gia?"

The connection was broken as I heard Harry call my name, and I sighed before grabbing my bag and exiting out into the remains of my bedroom.

"Yes, Harry?" I asked, getting a very clear view of Harry's physical change now that he was clean of soot. A flash of guilt shot through me as I felt Liz watching me watch Harry.

"Have you seen my glasses? It's amazing," he breathed, "I can see perfectly clear without them but I'm so used to wearing them… it feels odd to not have them on my face."

How could I not have noticed that Harry no longer had those bulky glasses covering his beautiful emerald green eyes?

"I'm sorry Harry, but they were probably destroyed in the blast," I said unapologetically.

"No don't apologize; I always hated those glasses anyway." Harry grinned slightly and gestured to the door. "Should we head down to breakfast, then?"

"Yes, I'm starved," I said, finally finding the energy to laugh. "You ready, Liz?"

"I thought I'd have to eat one of your arms before you asked," was her grumbled reply.

We met Ron and Hermione out in the common room; they were both seated on one of the white couches in the wide square that faced the fireplace. When they saw that we were ready, the two of them stood up and we headed for the door.

"Harry, where are your glasses?" Hermione asked, staring at Harry as I led them down the stairs towards Isavéla's portrait.

Harry grinned. "I don't need them anymore – they were probably destroyed though."

"What do you mean you don't need them anymore? You've had those glasses for as long as I've known you, mate," said Ron, confused.

Harry shrugged. "I suppose it's a benefit of the growth spurt." His guess was as good as any of ours.

After saying goodbye to Isavéla, I led the group through the barrier that protected East Tower and in the direction of the Great Hall, where we found Draco waiting at the top of the staircase. He smiled as he saw me, but his smile disappeared as he caught sight of the others.

"Good morning Gia," he said politely as he gently took my bag from me.

"Good morning to you too Draco," I smiled. "How are you?"

He briefly glanced over at my companions and shook his head. "I'm fine, but I need to talk to you – privately," He added pointedly.

I bit my lip and sighed. "I'm sorry Draco, but I've already agreed to tutor Harry after class today…" As I saw Draco's dejection, I quickly reassured him. "But tomorrow is Saturday and we don't have classes. We can hang out and talk then, just me and you, okay?"

"Okay," Draco agreed, though his mood had obviously dropped for the rest of the walk to the Great Hall.

When we entered, he handed me my bag and separated to go sit at the Slytherin Table without a word. Confused, I led the way to the Gryffindor Table and we sat in our usual seats – Liz now a regular addition. Breakfast that morning was quieter than usual amongst us. As the morning post was delivered, my beautiful black owl, Ario, swooped into the Great Hall and did a lap before he gracefully landed on my shoulder.

"Where have you been, Ario?" I cooed as I lovingly stroked his soft feathers. He hooted contently and nudged my hand. "Oh fine," I said fondly, breaking off a piece of my toast and feeding it to him. I allowed him to drink from my goblet of water seeing as I was finished with it, and when he was done, I gave him my letter for Gnarlkin. "Take this to our favorite little goblin, Ario, and wait for a response."

Just then, Harry's own beautiful snowy white owl, Hedwig, delivered a note to him. He seemed to have been waiting for the note and practically vibrated with anticipation. After feeding his own owl, Ario and Hedwig flew out of the Hall together and I couldn't help but smile after them. On the way to History of Magic, while Harry seemed to be fighting himself not to rip open the letter he'd received, I had too much on my mind to truly pay attention. During the walk, I called Prim and instructed her to gather a few trusted Hogwarts elves to help her fix my bedroom. I gave her permission to remove some galleons from my vault to buy new, almost identical furniture from a wizarding furniture store. She assured me that the project would be done by the time dinner was over that night, and I thanked her before trying and failing to focus on learning History. Because of my whirling thoughts, I finally gave in and set up a Dicta Quill to take my History notes for me.

"Just this once," I told Hermione, who puffed up indignantly when she saw what I'd done.

Harry seemed to have forced himself to calm down and wait to open the note he'd received, but didn't seem to be paying attention to Binns' lecture either. On the contrary, within five minutes, Harry and Ron had covered their desks in scraps of parchment bearing sums and symbols. They were using this time to catch up on their divination homework. Rolling my eyes, I distracted myself by watching their rather amusing attempts to come up with an entire month's worth of dreams in about an hour.

"I haven't got a clue what this lot's supposed to mean," Harry said softly, staring down at a long list of calculations.

"You know," Ron said finally, his hair on end because of all the times he'd run his fingers through it in frustration, "I think its back to the old Divination standby."

"What—make it up?"

"Ron's right for once," Liz said, withholding a loud laugh at said boy's indignant expression. "Even with real Seers, most of Divination is all about predictions and interpretations; nothing is really concrete when it comes to that subject. You'd probably go farther if you just guess."

"Then let's get to it," Ron whispered, dipping his pen into some ink, and starting to write.

"Encouraging such nonsense – I must say I'm ashamed," I said woefully, clutching my heart.

"Next Monday," Ron read a bit louder as he scribbled, only glancing up to make sure Binns wasn't looking our way, "I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter." He looked up at Harry. "You know her—just put in loads of misery, she'll lap it up."

Shaking my head, I noticed that even Hermione was peering at the two boys as Binns paused in his droning lecture.

"Right," Harry said, crumpling up his first attempt and leaning back in his seat to toss it into the trash bin by the door. "Okay… On Monday, I will be in danger of err—burns."

"Yeah, you will be," said Ron darkly, "we're seeing the skrewts again on Monday. Okay, Tuesday, I'll… erm…"

"Wait, skrewts?" I whispered.

"Oh right," Ron said, finally looking directly at me, "you were out of it for Monday's lesson, lucky that. But you'll see – they're another one of Hagrid's pets."

From what the trio had told me of Hagrid and his love of dangerous animals, and the fact that I had never heard of skrewts until now, did not bode well. Liz's wickedly amused expression also did nothing to soothe my blooming anxiety.

"Anyways, Tuesday," Harry said, flicking through his Divination textbook for ideas, "you'll lose a treasured possession."

"Good one," Ron said, copying it down. "Because of…erm…Mercury. Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?"

Something cold slithered down my spine at those words and a feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed me for a split second. Could it just be a coincidence?

It had to be.

"Yeah…cool…" Harry said obliviously, scribbling it down, "Because…Venus is in the twelfth house."

"And on Wednesday, I think I'll come off worse in a fight."

"Aaah, I was going to have a fight. Okay, I'll lose a bet."

"Yeah, you'll be betting I'll win my fight…"

I began giggling at this, covering my mouth with my hand so as not to attract attention to our little corner in the back. Hermione, on Liz's left, was leaned over a notebook, scribbling furiously in it, only glancing up at the four of us every few minutes.

The boys continued to make up predictions – which grew steadily more tragic – for the rest of the class period, and I was hard pressed not to let out the laughter that threatened to crack one of my ribs as I held it in. About a little more than halfway through the class, Hermione straightened up with a brilliant smile.

"I've finished!" she whispered excitedly.

"So have I!" Ron said triumphantly, throwing down his quill.

"Oh let me see that," she huffed, pulling Ron's predictions toward her.

"Not going to have a very good month, are you?" she said sardonically.

"Ah well, at least I'm forewarned," he countered.

"You seem to be drowning twice," Hermione pointed out.

"Oh am I?" Ron said, peering down at his predictions. "I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff."

"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes. "Honestly Ron, where are you going to run into a rampaging hippogriff?"

"With Hagrid around, anything's possible!" he insisted in mock-outrage, "and how dare you! We've been working like house-elves here!"

At Hermione's expression, he backtracked. "It's just an expression," he said hastily.

Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation. "What's that you've got there, Mione?" he asked quietly, pointing to Hermione's notebook.

"Funny you should ask," Hermione said, but right then, the bell rang and class ended. As we packed up our things and Ron and Harry cleaned up their litter, Hermione showed us a page in her notebook.

"Spew?" I asked slowly, reading the large letters at the top of the page. "That doesn't sound too appealing…"

"Not spew," Hermione said impatiently as we entered the corridor and wandered slowly, as we had a break now. "It's S-P-E-W. It stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"Never heard of it," Liz said, accented by a shrug.

"Well, of course you haven't," Hermione said briskly, "I've only just started it."

"Yeah?" Ron said with mild surprise. "How many members have you got?"

"Well—if you four join—five," Hermione admitted.

"And you think we want to walk around supporting something called spew, do you?" said Ron.

"S-P-E-W!" Hermione said hotly, attracting odd stares from other students in the corridor. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status—but I didn't think it would fit on a button. So that's the heading of our manifesto." She brandished the notebook at us.

"I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."

"Hermione—open your ears," Ron said loudly. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!"

"Actually, both of you are wrong. But Ron, I'm surprised that you don't know the story – or rather, the history behind elf slavery," I said, wagging my finger at him in disappointment.

"Well?" Harry said, his lip twitching at Hermione and Ron's expressions.

"I've got to hear this," Liz conceded, folding her arms over her chest.

"Well… centuries ago, well before Hogwarts was built on these grounds – before wizarding Britain had really developed a governed society – there was a great and terrible war between species," I began as we stopped in a partially deserted corridor. I hopped up onto a wide windowsill and crossed my legs.

"My mom used to tell me this story at bedtime when I was a child…it was cool but terrifying. From what she told me, it was the worst war our world had ever seen until the war against Grindelwald…and then, of course, the Blood War." Harry's jaw tensed, but he said nothing and I continued.

"In those days…tensions were high all over our world – no one trusted anyone of a different species. No one wanted to be the first to make a move because it was inevitable that war would follow. And then suddenly, seemingly random attacks and disappearances began amongst the goblins. High-strung and wound up as they were, they gathered their forces and attacked their greatest enemies at the time – the humans…witches and wizards."

"Without proof?" Hermione gasped, horrified.

The looks the other three shot her made her snap her mouth shut. They wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"To answer your question, Mione," I said, grinning slightly, "Yes, they attacked without proof. For we humans had always held ourselves above all others, especially the goblins. They had better battle skills, better business dealings, even their own magic completely separate from our own – and we still thought ourselves superior and had even forbidden them from practiced more focused wand-magic. We had pushed them to the edges of society and did our best to take away their civil liberties as an intelligent species."

I used my wand to shoot a gentle stream of water directly into my mouth, ignoring their exasperated expressions before I continued.

"Of course, there had already been hundreds of minor battles and scuffles between us and the goblin race before this war – the many goblin rebellions that Binns goes on about, but none had been as devastating and bloody as this. The hatred between our species was so great that we immediately declared war against each other. The fighting waged on for about a year or two – the time frame is a little murky. They weren't very focused on keeping records and even now, there are still files that have never been recovered. Anyways, there had been an intense battle that took place near here, actually – down by Hogsmeade centuries before the town had even been planned or constructed. A young centaur had wandered out of the forest to see what all the commotion was about. He – he'd gotten caught out in the crossfire between the goblins and wizards, and before he could run back to the safety of the forest – he was killed."

Hermione was quite clearly bursting, but she held in whatever it was that she dearly wanted to release – whether it was a noise or a question.

"No one truly knew which side had struck down the centaur – and of course, both sides blamed the other. The centaurs…well, you know how they are – they would near no excuses and declared war on both human and goblins alike. They had an alliance with the merpeople that still reside in the Black Lake to this day. What a lot of people don't know is that merpeople have a peculiar bit of magic that allows them to temporarily leave the water for small periods of time. With this power, the merpeople attacked the unsuspecting soldiers at night, when both human and goblin camps had retired, exhausted and hurt from days of fighting on end. The vampires –"

Hermione and Harry gasped. Ron was rather pale, a faint green tinge colored his cheeks. Liz looked very interested, but unbothered at the thought of such carnage and chaos.

"Oh come on, I know you must've learned about vampires in Defense Against the Dark Arts. They are one of the oldest known species, after all," I said as if it should've been obvious. "Anyways, where was I? Oh yes! The vampires, who used humans as their primary food source, saw this war as a blood buffet, of sorts. In the night, they snuck into the camps and dragged away the injured soldiers to drink from, letting the humans think that it was one of the other species involved. The werewolves –" I ignored Harry's tense posture, "who have had their own hatred and ongoing fight with the vampires, had heard rumors of their involvement, and began to attack them during the full moon every month – often killing other species or turning humans because they'd lost control. This all changed when a newly-turned werewolf had charged into a wizarding camp and ended up mauling some General to death. The humans, of course, turned on the werewolves then, even though they'd had a tentative alliance against the vampires."

"What a bloody mess…" muttered Liz, the first words she'd spoken since I began the story.

"It isn't over yet," I said darkly, splaying my hands in front of me, "After nearly three more years of constant fighting, our population had been severely decimated – every species had taken staggering losses. The leaders of each species finally came together for a meeting on no-man's land and agreed that one final battle would determine the victor. At this point, no one could even name the specific point or reason why the war had begun, but the stakes were much higher than simple pride. They agreed, unanimously, that the last species standing would take control of our world."

"_This _was a bedtime story?" Harry said, raking his fingers through his wild curls.

"They were just going to completely wipe out the other species?" asked Hermione quietly.

"This was war, Hermione. War means death – and lots of it. In every war, there has to be a victor – a winner; and in order for there to be a winner –"

"There has to be loser," she finished solemnly.

"They had agreed to meet on these very grounds because it was one of the only places where all of the species involved could access. The forests held the vampires, werewolves, and centaurs. The wizards and goblins already had camps nearby, and the merpeople lived in the Black Lake there," I said, looking out the window, my eyes glossing over as I imagined it in my mind. "They were pretty fair, considering the circumstances. They'd even agreed to fight under the full moon to allow the werewolves their full advantage. When it was time to gather, each species had rallied all of their forces in one place. There were no final words or threats or pleasantries as you usually hear before an epic battle, only deathly silence as every species waited for the battle to begin. Just as the full moon rose in the sky, and the werewolves transformed before everyone's eyes, a battle cry was shouted, and the fighting began."

"Within minutes, dozens and dozens of bodies littered these very grounds. When you walk across the grass, can you imagine stepping in the same place where a werewolf or vampire or wizard had fallen? It's amazing to think of the incredible secrets and history that lay buried beneath this place." I almost got lost in the nostalgia I was feeling – as if I had walked these very grounds back then. "You can't imagine the kind of carnage that took place here, and when more than half of everyone's forces had been decimated, an incredible thing happened – the elves appeared on the battlefield."

"What?"

"House-elves?"

"No way!"

Grinning down at the trio, I shook my head. "No, not house-elves, I mean the original elves, the true elves. They were slightly shorter than us, but looked like beautiful humans. They had the pointy ears as you might expect, long fingers and feet, grace and strength, all of it. And the only magic in the world that could rival a wizard's. Anyway, a bunch of them appeared on the battlefield and they were horrified at what they found. Using their magic, they stopped the fighting and forced everyone to listen to them. Elves are usually a peaceful race, they are incredible fighters and magic users, but prefer to use both for self-defense and the bettering of their people. And so, the elves began to tell an amazing story of vengeance. Because the humans were so threatened by them, they didn't even consider the elves as beings, and regarded them as lower than scum – lower than even goblins. This angered the Elfish race, for they were also proud creatures, and they devised a plan to show humans the same hurt and humiliation that they had received. They confessed to being the cause of the disappearances and deaths amongst the goblins at the very beginning. They admitted that it was due to their influence that the young centaur was killed and that the newly turned werewolf had wandered into a wizarding camp, resulting in the death of that General. They'd conceded that they hadn't expected the involvement of the vampires, but had turned it to their advantage. They –"

"Turned everyone against the humans!" gasped Hermione suddenly. "They manipulated the whole war so that all of the other species would attack us!"

"Precisely, ten points to Gryffindor," I said, my grin now fading. "After they had finished their tale, they expressed their regret because of the immense loss on all sides but this did not appease the different species. In a unanimous vote, it was decided that the elves had to face a punishment that would fit their crimes against our world. Each species came together for the first and probably only time in history and combined their magic. With this combined power, they turned every elf into what the humans saw them as – scum, and cursed them to an eternity of servitude to the species they despised most – the humans. Thus, the creation of house-elves."

I hopped down from the windowsill and took a bow. Right on time, the bell rang and it was time for us to head to Charms. Liz seemed thoughtful but ready to head to class, but the trio was too stunned to move, or even speak. Finally, Hermione broke the silence.

"That's – that's so harsh!" she said angrily.

"Hermione, they tried to wipe us out!" countered Ron passionately. "Those little nutters almost got us all killed because their _feelings_ were hurt!"

"Actually Ron, I'm not sure I agree with you," said Harry slowly. "But I don't agree with you either Hermione." He added as the girl shot Ron a smug look. "It sounded like we had it coming, Ron, with the way we treated every other species, as if we were better. I figure that even if the elves hadn't started the war, it would've happened eventually anyway. No, we didn't deserve such a heavy loss to our population – none of the species deserved it, but like Gia said, that was centuries and centuries ago, don't they think it's been long enough?"

"Oh, some of the more sympathetic species have tried over the centuries to have the elves restored to their true selves, but that would take the agreement and magic of all of the leaders of the species originally involved in that war," I explained, shaking my head in amusement. "Can you imagine Minister Fudge agreeing to something like that?"

"He'd probably eat his own house-elf before he set them all free," said Liz, rolling her eyes, arms still folded across her chest.

"That was an amazing story, Gia," said Hermione suddenly, "I wish Professor Binns would teach us stuff like that."

"Yeah, I bet everyone would pay attention if class was more like your storytelling." Harry grinned. "Maybe you should be a History teacher."

"I don't know…" I said. I had other things in mind. "Hermione, no offense, but you don't have the power to restore the elves. There have always been rumors and a healthy amount of suspicion that the house-elves are simply biding their time until they'd have their own rebellion, or try to change themselves back."

"Is that possible?" Ron said, wide-eyed.

I shrugged. "Who knows?" I said mysteriously.

"So I've done all this work for nothing?" Hermione moaned in despair.

"Not for nothing Hermione, maybe you can't get the elves freed, but perhaps you could be the person that got them a little slack. I wouldn't give up if I were you." I said, gently squeezing the girl's shoulder.

"Thanks Gia, and no, I don't think I will give up."

The rest of the day passed with my mind wandering off, thinking about the story my mother had told me and I had now passed on to others. Harry's comment about me being a History teacher kept bouncing around in my head. Both of my family lines had been around for so long – the stories and books in each library were contributed by my own family members or were given to them as gifts throughout time. I knew hundreds, perhaps thousands of stories about my world.

Perhaps Harry had a point.

That night, I had returned to the Gryffindor common with the others and continued tutoring Harry in Potions. We took a break only after he'd complained that he'd never see anything other than Potions ingredients if we kept on. Hermione was scribbling away in her SPEW notebook again, while Ron had charmed his chessboard to play against him. Elizabeth was sprawled across one of the armchairs closest the fire, thumbing through some book on dark curses.

"Harry, what did Hedwig bring you this morning?" Ron asked, glancing up from the board for a split second.

"Oh right!" Harry said, bolting up and diving for his bag. "She's got an answer!"

I was confused as Hermione and Ron both dropped what they were doing and gathered around Harry, peering over his shoulder. Liz seemed to share in my confusion because she dog-eared the page she was on and came to plop down on the couch beside me, in the spot Harry had just vacated.

"What does it say?" asked Hermione breathlessly.

"What are you all so excited about?" I couldn't help but ask. Liz raised an eyebrow in silent agreement.

The three of them looked at us quickly, before sharing long looks. I waited patiently, only raising an eyebrow as the three had a silent conversation with their eyes. There was a long pause…and then about ten to fifteen minutes later, Liz and I were sharing our own long look.

"Wow," I whistled, "and I'm guessing that no one here's ever heard that version of your adventures? Not even Dumbledore?"

"No, and we'd really like to keep it that way," Harry stressed, almost pleadingly.

I gave him a disarming smile. "I get it Harry, our little secret."

"I've got no one to tell," Liz said calmly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Why'd you decide to tell us though? I mean…you hardly know us."

"Because you're both one of us now," Hermione said earnestly. "You guys are our friends and we're deciding to trust you."

Out of view of the others, Liz's hand grasped mine and she squeezed once before letting go. I know she felt as touched as I did in that moment.

"So the letter – it's from him?" I asked quietly, trying to cover the sudden thickness in my voice.

"Yes, so let's read it."

The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloud:

_Harry—_

_I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore—they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry._

—_Sirius_

Harry looked up at us, we stared back at him.

"He's flying north?" Hermione whispered. "He's coming back?

"Dumbledore's reading what signs?" Ron said, looking perplexed. "Harry—what's up?"

For Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist. "I shouldn't have told him!" Harry said furiously.

"What are you on about?" Ron said in surprise.

"It's made him think he's got to come back!" Harry said, now slamming his fist on the table. "Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me!"

"Harry," Hermione began, in a pacifying sort of voice.

"I'm going to bed," Harry said shortly. "See you in the morning."

"So dramatic…" Liz muttered from beside me, her elbows resting on the back of the couch as she watched the interaction unfold.

I quite agreed.

As Harry stormed towards the boys' dorm stairs, I glanced at his shadow on the floor and he froze. Barely moving an inch from where I sat, the other watched, transfixed, as Harry seemed to fight against an invisible force. He slowly turned back towards us and walked rather jerkily around to the circle of chairs and was forced into his seat. When I relinquished control of his shadow, the trio stared at me in horror – Liz's expression was one of dark fascination.

"What the hell was that?" Harry ground out.

"Family secret." I said, shrugging. "I apologize for that, but you're not going anywhere, and if you try to get up again, I'll do it again – with more force."

Harry glared at me, and I simply raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine," he spat.

"From what you've told us, Sirius is practically the only real family you have left, Harry. He hasn't had the chance to be there for you until now. Can't you see that he's trying to make up for lost time? He cares about you, probably more than you know, and he just wants to make sure you're safe –"

"But –"

I waved my hand and Harry's mouth snapped shut.

"Ah ah ah," I tutted, wagging my finger at his angry, red face. "Sirius has fought and lived through the Blood War, Harry. Don't you think he knows all about coercion and compulsion spells? He needs to see with his own eyes that you really are okay, and that no one's standing over your shoulder while you write to him, forcing you to say that you're safe. He's need that kind of peace of mind or it'll kill him inside, are you really going to take that from him because you're worried?"

When Harry switched from glaring at me to glaring at the floor, I continued. "He's a grown man, Harry, and I'm pretty sure that if he can escape from Azkaban and evade the Aurors for this long, he can continue to do so, especially when he's determined to see his beloved godson. Besides, it sounds as though he was already planning on returning because of these rumors he's been hearing and the signs that Dumbledore's reading. That's not your fault, nor is it your fault that your scar is hurting and you're having odd dreams."

"That's not normal," said Liz finally, perking up from her spot beside me, "even for a curse scar. Curse scars, if not properly healed and cleansed, will only continue to affect the person the way it was meant to when the curse was first cast. They don't develop new side effects. That curse was meant to kill you, Harry, not give you bad dreams, so you shouldn't be having them."

"Exactly!" I said triumphantly. "You should continue informing Sirius about your scar, he might be able to find something that you can't."

When I was sure that Harry had finished his dramatics, I released my control again.

"No more of that storming off, Harry. If you can't vent to your own friends, who can you vent to?" I said as we all stood up and stretched. "Well, this has been an interesting day, and I don't know about you lot but I am exhausted. I'll see you guys in the morning."

"You're going back to that place, aren't you?" Hermione called as I began walking to the portrait hole. "What is that?"

I grinned mysteriously. "Also a family secret, but I promise I'll show you again. Goodnight," I called over my shoulder as I left.

As I slinked easily through the corridors towards East Tower, my mind was racing and had been ever since I'd been given the full story by Harry. It was amazing that the three of them could accomplish so much at such young ages and with so little training, but that also made me suspicious. There were a lot of holes and obvious signs that should've alerted them, but they were content to believe that they were heroes, and who was I to burst their bubble? The information at the forefront of my mind however, was of course, Sirius Black. He was the one man that could get Draco and his mother away from Lucius Malfoy. I had been killing myself trying to figure out how I was going to find him, and thanks to Harry –

He'd just fallen into my lap.

It wasn't until I was preparing to turn the corner where Isavéla's portrait was when I noticed quick, light footsteps behind me. I would've drawn my wand if not for the sweet scent of coconuts drifting towards me. And sure enough –

"Thought you might like some company."


	7. The Kissing Booth

**Chapter 7**

Brilliant sunlight washed over my skin and I hummed happily as I burrowed deeper into my new pillows, enjoying the clean linen scent of them. The warmth of the sun on my bare back soothed me, so much so that I was prepared to fall back asleep if not for the gentle hands that began carding through my hair.

"I thought you'd never wake up," said Liz's soft, calm voice from behind me. She brushed the hair off my shoulder and I froze as I felt two incredibly soft lips press against my skin. "Is that okay?" she whispered, before kissing the back of my neck.

The soft gasp that escaped my lips betrayed me.

Before I knew what was happening, Liz had pulled me over onto my back, swung her leg and was straddling me, a wicked smirk curved those satin lips.

"Liz, I –"

"Oh don't tell me you're suddenly shy, Grey," she teased, tossing her messy black hair over her shoulder. Liz leaned down slowly, her fingers leaving a blazing trail as she ran them up my sides and down my arms, her hair ticking my skin as it hung between us. Her intentions clear, she closed her eyes and –

Black wisps covered me. One minute I was trapped under Liz's weight and the next, I was flushed and breathless, leaning against the bathroom doors.

"Care to take a swim?" I said faintly, my voice several octaves above normal.

Tearing my eyes away from her startled and confused face, I threw open the bathroom doors and rushed inside. I had already begun filling the pool-sized tub with hot water when Liz finally strolled in through the double doors.

"It's Saturday and we don't have class, I figured we could use some relaxation after the week we've had," I rambled, refusing to look in her direction and struggling to keep my tone light. Meanwhile, my thoughts were going a mile a minute.

Liz had tried to kiss me.

_Liz_ – tried – to – kiss – me.

No matter how many times or how many ways I turned those words over in my head, they didn't make sense. I mean, sure – Liz was gorgeous; she was funny and powerful and she understood me in a very important way that no one else could but…

_She's a girl…_ that treacherous voice at the back of my head whispered.

"So?" I snapped irritably.

Honestly, it's not like…_that_ was still taboo in the wizarding world – certainly not as much as in the muggle world.

"Are you talking to yourself, you nutter?" said Liz, sitting around the other end of the tub, eyeing me amusedly.

"Oh shut it," I muttered, relieved that she didn't appear outwardly upset at my hasty exit a few moments ago.

To fill the silence – and perhaps deter Liz from trying to talk about what had happened – I went and retrieved my Wizarding Wireless from the closet and set it up on the vanity. Just as the beginnings of one of my favorite Weird Sisters songs began to play, I turned the music up loud and bobbed my head in time. I threw a few scented oils into the rising water and waved my hand, smiling as the water began to whirl and bubble like Jacuzzi jets.

"Bathing suit or birthday suit?"

"Wha –"

My eyes nearly popped out of my head as they roved over the tone, smooth, and very much naked body of Elizabeth. I couldn't stop myself from staring…from the white-painted toes to the hairless, slightly scarred legs, the neatly-trimmed patch…

"Err…"

"Cat got your tongue, Grey?" Liz teased, wagging her eyebrows suggestively as she dropped the bra she'd been holding onto the pile of discarded clothes on the floor.

I was losing my bloody mind.

As if sensing my emotions, Nova burst through the open doorway in her panther form, fangs bared until she saw Liz standing beside the tub, comfortable and carefree as can be. Nova yowled in surprise and cowered, covering her eyes with her long tail before hightailing it back the way she'd come.

"Some help…" I muttered to myself, before taking a deep breath and doing my best to force out the nerves with the expelled air.

My pajamas dropped to the floor.

"Birthday suit it is," Liz laughed, her tinkling giggle echoed as the song faded out and a new one began. "I guess you are a natural redhead," she added, shooting me a playful leer as she helped herself to a full view of my body. Thankfully, she didn't ask about the scars again.

Before she could do anything else to further rattle me, I dove into the pool, gliding expertly through the hot bubbles and coming up on the other side. Liz slipped more gracefully into the tub, wading in until the water came up to her shoulders. To my relief, we were able to swim around and even play a bit, splashing each other and playing water tag without any mention of our little close-call. About an hour later, however, as we stepped dripping from the water and wrapped ourselves in black towels, Liz finally spoke up.

"You know you could've just said no," she said unaccusingly as she wrung water from her thick hair.

My eyes snapped to hers and she simply raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

Gods, she was more like me than I was.

"I – err –" I blew out another breath, before grabbing her hand and pulling her over to the double vanity by the sinks. She sat across from me and allowed me a moment to collect myself. "I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong and – and I like you – and I think you're gorgeous and brilliant and bloody awesome but… But I've never –"

"Kissed a girl?" she finished, and I was surprised to see understanding and compassion in her violet eyes. I nodded mutely, ducking my head until she grasped my chin and forced me to look at her. "Then let me be your first."

Another silent nod.

I licked my lips nervously, mentally berating myself as I felt the slick moisture begin on the palms of my hands. Liz smiled knowingly – I hated that she could read me like an open book. But she leaned forward slowly… she slid one hand onto my bare thigh, instantly shooting tingles upwards. She slid the fingers of her other hand into my wild, red curls and gently brought my face closer to hers. My eyes fluttered shut and there was a pause before I felt the softest lips press against mine.

"See, that wasn't so –"

Her words were cut off as I grabbed both sides of her face and pressed my lips more firmly against hers… almost desperately. She responded immediately and I felt her fingers tighten into a fist in my hair, her lips moving with mine…her tongue teasing, darting over my lips.

We were both breathless by the time we'd finished.

We must've sat there and stared into each other's eyes for a few long minutes until I felt a small laugh bubble up inside of me. Liz smiled back, but she looked confused.

"Should I be offended that you're laughing right now?" she asked wryly.

"Of course not!" I gasped, giggling even harder at her expression. "I just – I don't know! I feel better – relieved, even."

Liz stared at me for a long moment before snorting, a small smile playing along her lips. "Well – good."

Now that I could think clearly without getting flustered, I showed Liz a drawer underneath the vanity that held packages of brand new toothbrushes, hair combs, and anything else she might need. We both went about our normal grooming routines before finally leaving the bathroom and heading into my closet.

"I'm so tired of that bloody uniform," I complained, looking around at the racks and racks of clothes that still had tags on them.

"Well, can't say you don't have options," Liz huffed, fingering a short, black knit-sweater dress with long sleeves.

"Why don't you wear that," I suggested, scanning the rack she was perusing, "And I'll wear this!" I held up an identical dress, only mine was a dusty pink color.

"Are you sure –"

"Put the damn dress on, Moon!" I demanded, already digging through drawers of underwear. I tossed a brand new bra and panty set in her general direction, and dove back in for a set for myself.

Fifteen minutes later, we were standing side by side in the full-wall mirror. I knew that the dress would look good on Liz, but _Merlin_… She'd found some black and white trainers to pair with it, and I'd forced her to accept black diamond stud earrings and a matching necklace. She'd fixed the front of her hair into a top-knot and let the rest flow down her back.

"Maybe I should just keep you up here, all to myself…" I leered, wrapping my arms around her from behind.

"I can't say I'd be too upset about that," she murmured, resting her cheek on the top of my head.

"_Tempus!_" I cast, noting that it was still pretty early. "Only eight-thirty – Merlin, how early did you wake me up?"

Fixing my hair up identical to Liz's, I donned white trainers and regular, white diamond studs, leaving my signet ring and seven-point pendant in place. "What do you say we scare Hermione half to death and kidnap her from the girls' dorm?" I suggested playfully.

"Going to show me some more shadow magic, then?" Liz asked casually, though her eyes were lit up the way Hermione's did in class.

In response, I stepped close to Liz and quickly pecked her lips before engulfing us both in black wisps. She gasped and held on tight to me, but only a second later, we were in the hall just outside the fourth year dorm.

"Brilliant…" Liz breathed, "Can you travel anywhere?"

"Nothing's stopped me yet – shh," I whispered, easing the door open and instantly being hit with the sound of Lavender snoring.

Creeping into the room, I saw that, even in my absence, the fifth bed under the window remained untouched. The other four girls were still sound asleep, including Hermione, who had fallen asleep with an open book on her chest.

"I almost feel bad for this," I whispered, sharing an evil grin with Liz before I gently reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand.

Liz placed a hand on my shoulder just as black wisps gathered around us. Two seconds, later –

"Oh my –" screamed Hermione, awakening as we dropped about three feet above my bed and bounced, before sinking into the mattress. She looked around, completely bewildered as Liz and I howled with laughter. "Honestly," she huffed, though her small smile betrayed her, "You two are bad as the boys!"

"Now, now Mione," I wagged my finger deviously at her, "I don't think the boys would be kind enough to take you out for a girl's day."

"Girl's day?" she repeated, utterly lost.

"Ugh!" I groaned, sticking my tongue out at Liz's 'I told you so' look. "Does everyone around here think that's a foreign concept? But yes, my dear Mione, we are kidnapping you and taking you out today – no books, no assignments, NO studying."

"But –"

"Shower – now," I ordered firmly, "Or I'll drop you in the Black Lake next time."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at my threat. "You wouldn't dare!" But she squealed and quickly rolled off the bed as I reached a threatening hand towards her. "Fine! Fine! Geez!" she grumbled, gathering her hair into a messy bun atop her head.

"I find it's easier to just go along with her craziness," said Liz unsympathetically.

"Towels and cloths are on a rack near the shower," I said, excitement bubbling up inside of me. "I'll have something for you when you're done."

As Hermione grumbled about overzealous redheads on her way into the bathroom, I headed back into the closet and quickly found an identical dress to mine and Liz's, only Hermione's was a delicate cream color. I found some light pink trainers and simple jewelry to match and had laid it all out on the chaise by the time Hermione emerged, pink and wrapped tightly in a towel. Her eyes immediately went to the outfit I had chosen and then raked over me and Liz's matching ones.

"Oh Gia…I don't know…"

"Oh come on, Mione! You'll look so cute!" I pleaded, taking her hand and practically dragging her over to the bed. "Just trust me, okay? We're going to have so much fun!" She still looked uncertain. "Please Mione, for me?"

Hermione valiantly tried to hold out but one look at my big, golden eyes and she caved. "Fine," she groaned, snatching the outfit up and disappearing back into the bathroom. When ten minutes had passed and she still had not emerged, Liz and I went in after her.

As expected, the dress fit Hermione perfectly. Her chest was slightly bigger than mine and Liz's but the dress was loose enough that it shouldn't make her uncomfortable. She kept tugging at the bottom of the dress even though it came just above her knees.

"Will you stop worrying so much Mione? You look beautiful," I said honestly, pulling her away from the mirror. She looked confused as I had her stand still and summoned my enchanted camera, taking a few 'before' pictures.

Before she could protest any further, I summoned my purse, grabbed her and Liz in either hand, and shouted, "To the beauty salon!" and we disappeared without a sound.

There was, of course, the expected shock and horror after experiencing my shadow-magic for the first time, as well as realizing that we had left school grounds.

"We're breaking a dozen school rules already!" Hermione moaned despairingly.

But I would hear nothing of it as I dragged her through the bustling streets of Diagon Alley, Liz keeping pace on my left. Finally, we'd arrived in front of a rather noticeable pink and purple building with the name _Libba's_ emblazoned across the door. Upon entering with my two friends, the owner and witch that had quickly become my personal hairstylist, ran over and greeted me with a kiss on each cheek.

"Gia! It's been too long!" she cooed excitedly, even though I'd just seen her a couple weeks ago. "Who do we have here?"

"Libba, these are Elizabeth and Hermione, my best mates from Hogwarts," I introduced happily, "Hermione, Liz – this is Libba, she's the owner of this fine establishment."

After the two girls said their greeting, Hermione still clearly apprehensive and overwhelmed, Libba turned her wild, blue eyes on me. "What can I do for you lovely witches today?" she asked, already anticipating whatever I had in store.

If there was one thing Libba could be sure of, it was that if Giavana Grey was present, a lot of galleons were about to be spent.

"Full treatment, Libba – the whole nine for all three of us," I said immediately, not even looking at my friends, "And we may step over to the hair section when we're done."

Libba's eyes popped. Yes, she was certainly about to be a very rich woman.

"One more complaint and I'm sealing your lips for the rest of this outing," I threatened Hermione as she opened her mouth, complaint already on her lips.

Huffing, Hermione followed as Libba led the three of us into the back room where more important clientele were catered to. She pointed us to the locker room first. "You can leave your belongings in any locker – they're charmed to seal until you tap your wand on it. Robes are already in the lockers – sauna is straight through that door. Sit in there about ten minutes to warm up and we'll come get you."

"Thanks Lib," I said happily, already going for my customary locker of number thirteen.

"I thought today was just for Hermione," Liz commented as she took the locker on my left and Hermione took the one on my right.

"Well, it's no fun to just watch someone else be pampered," I laughed, kicking off my shoes and tucking them neatly on the shelf in the locker. "It's my treat, think nothing of it."

"Gia, this is too much. I can't –"

"Goodness Hermione," I groaned, turning to fully face the red-faced girl, "Have you ever enjoyed anything other than books in your entire life? One would think you'd be a little happier at the thought of a spa day on someone else's galleon."

"It's just…I've never done anything like this except with my mum," said Hermione quietly, looking down.

"Well get used to it," I said firmly, "No friend of mine will be denied this sweet pleasure."

Before she could say anything, I pulled my dress over my head and dropped it into the locker, my underwear quickly following. On my left, Liz was very comfortable standing naked beside me, taking her time to unfold the robe that had been provided for her. As I reached for my own robe, I noticed that Hermione's face was beet red and she refused to look in our direction.

Laughing, I touched her arm. "Oh come on Hermione, we're all girls here. You've been sharing a bathroom for the last three years at Hogwarts!"

"Yes – err – just unprepared," she stammered, slowly removing her own clothes. Taking pity on the shy girl, I turned away and adorned my light robe, loosely tying the front closed.

"How do you feel about other people seeing you naked?" I asked suddenly, my eyes wandering down Liz's slim figure in my peripheral. She seemed to notice and shot me a suggestive wink when Hermione wasn't looking.

"Well in France, my parents and I visited a naked beach, but my dad wouldn't let us join in," she said, her face slowly returning to normal. "My mum tries to teach me to appreciate my body more."

"Which you should," I said, eyeing her clinically, "you have a nice body for a bookworm."

Upon realizing that I was joking and complimenting her, she smiled slowly and finally allowed herself to relax.

When Libba returned with her assistants, Kris with a K, as she called herself, and Dena, they got to work. For the next few hours, Hermione, Liz and I were scrubbed, scraped, waxed, plucked, polished, rubbed, massaged, shampooed, exfoliated, and cleansed in almost every way. As this happened, we talked and talked and talked…about ourselves, about Harry, Ron, Ezra and Elias, and Hogwarts, asking questions about each other, and everything else we could possibly think of. I got to know a lot about Hermione, and even Liz, and I hoped that we'd all be friends for a long time coming. Towards the end, our bodies were nearly hairless from the neck down; our skin was smooth, lightly scented, and deeply cleansed; our nails, hands and feet, were buffed and polished to a shine; and finally, it was time to tackle Hermione's hair. At this point, we were all so relaxed that we were practically piles of goo.

"Where have you been all my life?" Liz groaned happily as we reclined in our chairs, watching Libba stare Hermione down.

"What should we do with it?" Libba asked, stalking Hermione's hair as she circled her chair.

"I say empty a bottle of _Madam Circe's_ on her head, curl it a bit, and highlight it," I suggested flippantly, as Kris worked her fingers through my towel dried hair. Dena had already gone to work massaging Liz's scalp beside me.

"Madam Circe's…" said Hermione questioningly.

"A permanent hair taming solution that runs for about fifty galleons a bottle," Libba explained bracingly. "You'd better think of one amazing birthday gift, dear, seeing as Gia here has offered to cover the expenses."

"Gia, I can't –"

"Shh!" I snapped, glancing up from where I was currently getting my own scalp massaged. "No more protesting Hermione, it's already been taken care of! Hose her down, Libba!" I ordered enthusiastically.

I heard more than saw Hermione being wheeled over to the row of sinks, and heard the water start up. Kris and Dena graciously turned our chairs so that we could watch the magic happen. First, Libba shampooed and conditioned Hermione's hair with special products that would detangle it and smooth it out some while keeping her natural waves. Once her hair had been towel dried, Libba popped open a bright red bottle of Madam Circe's and used the whole thing on her head as instructed. She pulled Hermione's hair up into a loose bun and allowed it to marinate for the required forty-five minutes.

While this happened, Libba took great care as she evened out Hermione's teeth, having already taken care of her eyebrows earlier. By this point, Liz and I had already had our hair treated, dried, and neatly trimmed – my blood red curls shone more than ever and Liz's thick black tresses had been given some deep waves. When the forty-five minutes were up, Libba rinsed out the solution, toweled Hermione's hair again, and rolled her over to her station. There, she detangled Hermione's hair again, massaged her scalp, treated her hair, highlighted it, dried it, and allowed it to fall in a waterfall of thick honey-colored waves.

When Libba was done, she allowed Hermione to peer in the mirror at her transformation and I could see that Hermione was truly stunned. Liz and I went to stand by her and were startled when she burst into tears and tackled me in a tight hug.

"Err," I said, patting her back awkwardly, "don't you like it Hermione?"

"I love it!" she wailed, slowly regaining control of herself. She wiped her face and blushed. "Sorry about that, I was a bit overwhelmed. I've never seen myself look so…pretty."

"I'm glad you're happy Mione," I said as Hermione admired herself from different angles in the mirror. As she was distracted, I dropped a sack of galleons in Libba's arms and gave Kris and Dena generous tips for their hard labor. Noticing Liz's high eyebrows, I put a finger to my lips for secrecy. Hermione didn't have to know how much this trip had cost, especially when it barely equated to a drop in my accounts.

"Come on Hermione, we're not done yet," I said, pulling her out of the store, even as she repeatedly thanked Libba for everything.

"What's next Gia?" Hermione, absolutely bubbly now. "Oooh, I don't know how I'm ever going to pay you back or make this up to you!"

"Just stop thanking me and we're even," I said, laughing. It felt good to make someone else so happy; something my mother had tried to teach me for as long as I could remember.

I led the girls to Twilfit and Tattings, where we were greeted by Twil, the owner and someone I had become rather close to over the summer after trying to drown my rage and grief in retail. Twil was only too happy to give Hermione a complete wardrobe to go with her new appearance, though I had to beg and plead to convince Liz to pick out a few things for herself. About two hours later, we left a much richer, much happier Twil behind, and left carrying bags upon bags of clothes and shoes, most of them for Hermione.

By the time I'd shadow-stepped the three of us back into East Tower, it was nearing two in the afternoon. "Lunch?" I suggested, carelessly tossing my personal shopping bags into my closet without a glance.

"I'm starving!" Liz immediately agreed, rubbing her stomach for emphasis.

"Nova!" I called, looking around for the little monster. Two seconds later, her kitten form came bounding up the stairs from the common room. I knew she'd probably been dozing in the sunny spot she'd commandeered near the large windows down there. "How are you, beautiful?" I cooed, catching her as she leapt nimbly into my arms and purred. "Think you can do something for me?" She peered up at me with those big, curious cat eyes. I brought her up to my lips and whispered, soft enough that Hermione couldn't hear, though I'm sure Liz's hearing was just as sensitive as mine. "Head to the new house in the Alley – stay there tonight and patrol. If anyone shows up, you fly to me immediately – understood?"

Nova yowled in understanding and jumped to the floor, taking off back in the direction she'd come. I waited a minute, giving her time to shift and escape the common room without Hermione seeing and then led my friends out through the portrait hole. I could tell that both Liz and Hermione were bursting with curiosity, but neither of them asked any questions, something I was very much grateful for. A lot of secrets had been shared between the three of us in a short time, but there were still things I'd rather keep to myself as long as possible, especially if it meant keeping them as far away from the danger that circled me at every moment.

It seemed that the schedule ran a bit late on the weekends because we weren't the only students trailing down to the Great Hall for food. I was well aware of how great I looked at all times, but it was clear that Liz, and especially Hermione, were not used to getting such blatant attention and appreciation from the student population. The musky scent of lust and longing pouring off of some males and several females caused a small smirk to grace my lips as we stepped off the final step on the first floor and walked down the corridor towards the huge, open Great Hall doors.

Though the entire Hall glanced our way and seemed to do a jaw-dropped double-take, it was Draco's expression that caught my attention immediately. His lips were parted in surprise, as if he only just caught his jaw from joining the rest of the students' on the floor, and his stormy grey eyes were as bright as I'd ever seen them. The pink tinge in his cheeks seemed to match the faint scent of arousal and attraction that I smelled on him and my smirk bloomed into a dazzling, fanged smiled as I approached the poor boy.

Waving my hand in front of his face, I laughed. "Draco," I said, drawing out the vowels, "are you alright?"

"Huh?" he said, shaking his head. "Wow Gia, you – wow. And your eyes are – wow… And your hair and dress – err – wow…"

Giggling, I playfully hit Draco's firm chest. "I'll take that as a compliment Draco. And I didn't forget that we were hanging out today, okay?"

"It's a date, I'll see you later," He said, kissing my forehead, as had become the norm for us.

As he headed for the Slytherin Table, I noticed the boys there were undressing me with their eyes and the girls were either glaring daggers at me or the boys seated with them. Pansy – her expression one of utter rage and pure unadulterated hate – almost amused me. I grinned and gave her a little wave before practically skipping to the Gryffindor Table and sitting down between Harry and Neville. It seemed that the boys, and everyone within earshot, had already been drowning Hermione and Liz in compliments because both of their faces were incredibly red.

"Good afternoon you lot," I said cheerfully as I began to pile my plate with my meaty lunch.

"Err – g-good afternoon Gia," said Harry, his face incredibly red. "You look – b-beautiful," He choked out. "As always."

"Aww, thank you Harry," I said sweetly, kissing him on the cheek.

The fact that I could sense his blood rushing south and smell his attraction permeating the air only made my smile grow large. I had to wonder, however, if this sudden increase in attention from the male population was due to my renewed appearance or some odd Lycan allure.

Ron was openly gaping at Hermione, but rather than look uncomfortable, she seemed very pleased with herself, humming and creating a sandwich on her plate.

"How are you Neville?" I asked, turning away from the two. He had his nose buried in a book and I had to call his name twice more before he jerked to attention.

"Huh? Oh – err – sorry Gia, I was just reading this book Moody gave me Thursday." He tilted the book so that I could see the cover: _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean_. "Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology." There was a faint note of pride in his tone that was hardly ever present, and I couldn't help but smile softly at him.

"So, you're alright? You know I'm here if you ever need to really talk, Nev," I said, patting his back soothingly. He flashed me a brilliant smile.

"Yes, I know Gia. It – it took me a while, but I know that my parents wouldn't want me fall apart every time I'm reminded of that day," He whispered, his smile turning slightly sad. "I know that they love me and that they only did what they did to protect me, and that's all that really matters, right?"

"That's right Neville, good on you."

"So where have you three been all morning?" Harry asked casually, his eyes never leaving my face.

"Why, we were out getting beautiful for you, Mr. Potter," I drawled teasingly, thoroughly enjoying the effect I had on him.

I couldn't help but take in his toned but thin figure. He'd certainly gotten taller as a result of his growth spurt, but he must've been malnourished as a child, even though it had probably improved greatly since he'd come to Hogwarts. Harry should've never been as short as he had been before his growth spurt, and considering his position on the Quidditch team and the fact that he already had an enormous amount of power, his body should be bigger to sustain it all. Harry would never be bulky or a bodybuilder type, but he could certainly pack on some muscle with a bit of help. When breakfast ended and we all stood up to disperse and enjoy the weekend, I was approached by Madam Pomfrey, who smiled at me.

"Miss Grey, I hope that you have not changed your mind about helping me in the Hospital Wing?" she began.

"Of course not, Madam Pomfrey, I'd be happy to help in any way that I can," I reassured her, easily returning her smile.

"That's wonderful dear. Professor Snape has informed me what a wonderful potions brew you are, even showed me a sample and I must say that I'm impressed. I'm running a bit low on quite a few potions, and so your first task in helping me is to replenish them," Madam Pomfrey instructed.

"Not a problem, ma'am. I can get started immediately, if you have a list of what potions you need me to brew?" I asked, feeling a familiar anticipation grow inside of me at the challenge.

After removing a list written on a scrap of parchment, Madam Pomfrey handed it to me and watched me skim the list. "None of these will be a problem, Madam Pomfrey. I can have most of these done by tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest," I informed her.

"Excellent timing, dear, excellent. Professor Snape has graciously granted you permission to use his potions lab as well as his personal ingredients, as he usually does this task for me. However, he has a lot of work to do, so we both thank you for your help," she said.

"It's my pleasure," I said, smiling brightly. When she walked away, I gave my friends apologetic looks. "I suppose I have some work to do. I'll come check on you lot later."

Glancing around, I saw my white-blonde friend near the doors, and hurried over to him. "Draco! Draco, wait!" I called over the chatter of hundreds of students. He looked back and stopped walking, though I saw Pansy doing her damnedest to yank him along with her. I could smell his annoyance as we approached each other and smirked as I watched Pansy string herself along with him.

"Good morning Pug – oops, I mean Pansy," I greeting, shooting her a fanged smile.

She seemed taken aback at the sight of them, but smirked viciously. "Good morning to you too, ginger –oops, I mean Gia," she shot back. The air around us seemed to crackle with negative energy and I fought down the urge to snap at her throat with my fangs.

"It's Giavana to you, mutt," I snapped, already feeling my fingernails tingle as my claws shot out. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I took a deep breath and retracted them once more, plastering a bright smile on my face. I gave Draco a friendly hug, though he was clearly still reeling from my and Pansy's greetings to each other, but he immediately yanked his hand from hers and wrapped his arms around me. Looking over Draco's shoulder, I gave Pansy the finger and grinned victoriously at her expression. When I pulled back, I smiled up at Draco.

"Dray, do you think you could help me with something?" I asked sweetly.

"Of course Gia, anything," said Draco quickly.

The wonderful scent of fury filled my nostrils and I reveled in Pansy's envy at the moment.

"You see, I'm somewhat apprenticing under Madam Pomfrey, helping her in the Hospital Wing and such, and she needs me to brew up a load of potions for her. It would take much less time if I had the help of a talented brewer like you."

Draco smirked down at me. "Flattery will get you everywhere Gia, but I'd love to help. When should I –"

"I thought you were hanging out with me today Draco!" growled Pansy suddenly, her face rather red.

"Gia needs my help, Pansy," Draco said dryly, "with something more important than listening to you constantly talk." I held in the howl of laughter that I desperately wanted to release, but mentally applauded myself instead.

_Gia – 1; Pug-face – 0_

"Come on Draco, I want to get started on this as soon as possible," I said, taking his hand and tugging him away from an angrily stunned Pansy. "Bye pug," I shot over my shoulder as I pulled Draco along with me.

"Why do you and Pansy still hate each other so much?" Draco asked, a grin tugging at his lips as we walked towards Professor Snape's office.

"Because that _dog_ almost slit my throat when she chopped off all my hair back when we were five! It is common knowledge that five-year olds should not handle sharp scissors!" I growled, angry as the memory still stung with humiliation. Luckily, my mother had been able to magically regrow my hair when I had floo-called her, screaming about how I was going to end the Parkinson line.

"If I remember correctly, you used _accidental_ magic and actually turned her into a pug until my parents showed up and reversed it," said Draco, clearly trying to hold in hearty laughter.

My own lips twitched as those particular images cropped up in my mind. "She deserved it," was all I said before Draco and I cleared our faces and knocked on the Snape's office door.

A curt "Come in!" granted us permission to open the door, and as we stepped inside, I was almost surprised by how normal Snape's office looked. His office was tastefully decorated in natural colors, instead of all black as one would probably expect of this man. It was only my years of training and experience that allowed me to mask my surprise, and the flush that threatened to bloom as I thought back to my assault of the man seated before me.

"The lab is through those doors," Snape said without looking up from the parchment he was scribbling over, "and the cupboard with the ingredients in it is clearly labeled. That cupboard is usually locked and warded, but I have removed both for the time being. I trust that two intelligent students such as yourselves can complete this task without my observation."

"Yes sir," Draco and I said in unison as we walked towards the unmarked dark wooden door near Snape's desk. As we passed his large polished wooden desk, I couldn't help but glance at the parchment he was writing on, and grinned as I saw that it must be an essay that he was grading, considering the fact that it was covered in red ink.

Poor kid, whoever the essay belonged to.

As Draco and I set up several stations at which to brew the potions from the list I had received from Madam Pomfrey, I bit my lip and wondered if this was the right time to bring up Sirius. There was one major factor in my silence at the moment, however…the fact that Harry and the others had entrusted that kind of secret and information to me. I couldn't betray Harry, but Draco and his mother needed me. This information could be the difference between their salvation and leaving them in that hell on earth called Malfoy Manor.

I sighed deeply as I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and lit the fire beneath my cauldron. "So Draco, what did you want to tell me yesterday?" I asked as I pulled out a book that contained the instructions to the potions we were supposed to be brewing, and ran my finger down the table of contents.

"My father somehow found out that I've been hanging around you lately," was his quiet reply.

I looked up at him quickly, trying to gauge his emotions, but his mask was good as mine, if not better. "It's not like we were trying to be discreet Dray, but how'd he find out?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if he has someone within my house keeping an eye on me," he said irritably.

"Well, what did he say about it?" I continued, forcing myself to keep looking through the book as I gathered the needed ingredients and separated them into groups based on the potions they were intended for.

"I received another letter from him last night. He thinks it's a good idea for me to get close to you again, but – but he wants me to use you to spy on Potter," Draco revealed.

"What?" I snapped. "You told him no, right?" But then I backtracked and took a deep breath, realizing what would happen to him if he disobeyed his father. "I'm sorry. Of course, you can't tell him that. What are you going to do, Draco? You know I'll do what I can to help, but I can't betray Harry's trust."

"I know you wouldn't, that's not the kind of person you are," said Draco, almost sadly, "which is probably why you weren't sorted into Slytherin. Half of the people in my House would sell their own siblings for a leg up. But I'd never put you in that sort of position. I told him that I would try to gleam some sort of information, what else could I say to him? But now I'm stuck."

I reached out and squeezed his hand. "We'll figure this out, Draco, we will. Perhaps the information that I have to share with you might make you feel better."

Draco peered curiously at me. "And what information is that?"

"I've learned some information about Sirius Black," I said carefully, "but I can't tell you how."

He snorted. "You obviously got it from Potter." At my thunderstruck expression, he explained. "It is common knowledge amongst most purebloods that Black is Potter's godfather. Father told me that Black was never a Death Eater or even supporter of the Dark Lord. He's not sure how Black got mixed up in that trouble that landed him in Azkaban, but if anyone knows anything about Black, it'd be Potter."

Rolling my eyes, I conceded his point.

"Fine smarty-pants, since you already know that much, yes, I got the information from Harry. Black is supposedly coming back around here from wherever he's been hiding lately. The problem is trying to contact him. I suppose it'd be easier if I had Harry's help –"

"Definitely not!" said Draco hotly, and I actually took a small step back. "I'm sorry but I don't want Potter to have anything to do with this."

"Draco, you know he's our best bet," I tried.

"I said no, Gia," said Draco, a note of finality in his voice.

We fell silent and began preparing the gathered ingredients as the eight cauldrons of water heated up. We'd agreed that I would brew the four most difficult ones while Draco brewed the other four, and we worked in tense silence for a while.

"What about your mother, Draco?" I said quietly, about half an hour later.

"What?" he said, focusing on adding the next ingredient into his cauldron of Blood-Replenishing Potion.

"Are you really going to risk leaving her with your father longer than she needs to because of your dislike of Harry?" I continued seriously as I reduced the heat on my third cauldron and turned to look at him.

"I don't trust him," Draco said stubbornly, "especially not with something as important as this."

"But I trust him Draco, I know him and I know he'd help if he knew –"

"I said no, Gia!" Draco snapped again.

"Can you stop being a stubborn prat for just a minute? Dammit Draco!" I growled, pacing around in frustration. I approached Draco until I was standing inches away and poked him in his chest. "Can you imagine what your mother could be going through right this minute, Draco? Are you seriously going to allow this to continue when there's a possibility that you could end this sooner than later if you'd just swallow your pride and ask for help?"

"But I don't –"

"Draco, there are plenty of ways that we could go about doing this. We don't have to tell Harry the full story, but he's our best bet and he's going to need to know _something_ if he wants to help us. Draco please," I said pleadingly, my voice lowering, "I can't bear to see you suffer any longer or sit here while your mother is stuck in that hell with him. I swear that Harry is not the guy you think he is. He'll help us. I know he will."

Draco stared down at me, a range of emotions raging, too mixed up for me to be able to separate them even with my enhanced senses. He gently cupped my cheek and I couldn't stop myself from leaning into its warmth as he rubbed my skin with the pad of his thumb. "I hate seeing you like this, Gia," Draco said softly, never breaking eye contact, "and though it goes against my better judgment, I'll allow Potter the chance to help. Thank you Gia, for caring so much about me and my mother."

Before I could say anything, Draco slowly leaned down and his eyes drifted shut, his intentions clear as he tilted my face up toward his. In a moment very reminiscent of that morning, I was frozen.

Why the _hell_ was everyone trying to kiss me today?

But then…

Did I want Draco to kiss me?

Of course, I'd often thought about how handsome he was and we were already so close after having been reacquainted recently, but he was a good friend.

_I bet his lips are really soft. I have the chance to find out now_, those annoying, girly thoughts chimed in, but I silenced them quickly. Draco's lips were less than an inch from mine and I was out of time to decide.

Just as he would've closed the remaining distance between us, the door to the lab opened and we sprang apart, both blushing furiously as Professor Snape entered and stared emotionlessly at us. There was an awkward moment of silence before Snape sighed and rolled his dark eyes.

"I'm not even going to ask. Be sure to clean up when you're finished," He said before turning around and closing the door behind him.

"We – we should finish up so I can take these to Madam Pomfrey," I said, desperately trying to force down my flush.

"Y-yes, you're right," stuttered Draco, hurrying to check on his potions.

For the next few hours, we worked in silence, neither of us mentioning our close call even as we attempted to make easy conversation when the silence got tenser and more awkward. Finally, when the last potion was finished, bottled, and neatly labeled, I personally cast anti-breakage and preservation charms over each vial before conjuring a crate to hold them all. After we'd cleaned the entire potions lab and put away the remaining ingredients, I quickly reached up and kissed Draco on the cheek. "Thank you for helping me out Draco, I owe you big time for this. And I promise I'll work on – you know – as soon as possible," I said as I picked up the crate.

"Do you need help carrying that up to the Hospital Wing?" Draco said, oblivious to the fact that he was absently rubbing the spot where I'd kissed his cheek.

"No thanks Dray, I'll see you later and thanks again."

With that, I left the lab and called a thanks and goodbye to Professor Snape over my shoulder as I left his office, using my foot to close the door behind me. During my walk up to the Hospital Wing, my thoughts kept revolving around the fact that Draco had almost kissed me. I certainly hadn't expected that to happen, but then I felt guilty. Had my friendliness with him this afternoon in front of Pansy led him on?

I stopped walking and briefly considered turning back and apologizing to Draco, if that was the case, but decided against it. Truly, I was torn. Yes, Draco was a rather handsome boy, he was a gentleman too, and he treated me as if I meant a lot to him…so what was stopping me?

_What about Liz?_ that soft voice whispered.

But it wasn't Liz's face that swam into my mind's eye – it was wild, jet black hair and emerald green eyes.

I nearly dropped the damn crate right then.

Hoisting it up into a better position, I continued my journey. No, that was ridiculous. Harry was just as good a friend as Draco, and I'd only known him a short time… but if Harry tried to kiss me…would I stop him?

Thankfully, I arrived at the Hospital Wing right then and froze as seven pairs of eyes darted to me and popped open. Seven dirty and clearly banged up boys, all of whom appeared to be upper-years, were standing around a single bed. They were all dressed in quidditch gear and judging from the color, they had to be Hufflepuffs. The feeling of worry coming from the group gave me a bad feeling in my stomach.

"Who is that? I can't see around you lot," said a familiar voice, filled with pain.

My knees nearly buckled as the boys separated and I caught sight of a dirty, bruised, and bloodied boy with light brown hair and bright grey eyes. I slowly walked further into the Hospital Wing and set the crate down on an empty bed before approaching the boy lying in the bed. The seven boys back away to give me space and I felt tears well up in my eyes as I saw Cedric up close. The skin that was visible on him was covered in cuts, scrapes, and large purple bruises. He reeked of dirt, grass, and blood, and his face was tensed with pain. But even then, he smiled up at me.

"Wow Gia, you look stunning," He said, his voice raspy.

"Cedric," I said, my voice almost cracking, "what happened to you?"

"Quidditch practice," he said calmly, hissing as a spasm of pain shot through him.

"Quidditch practice?" I repeated, my voice raising several octaves. "You look like you got on the wrong side of a hippogriff!"

"He –"

The boy who'd begun to speak fell silent as my eyes snapped to him. "What?" I said quickly.

The boy scratched the back of his head. "He was – err – chasing the snitch and he went into a dive, it was bloody incredible, but he lost his grip and fell off of his broom from pretty high up."

"Tattletale," Cedric mumbled immaturely.

"Isn't a professor supposed to supervise all practices to insure that something like that doesn't happen?" I growled, turning back to Cedric.

"Professor Sprout was busy!" he insisted.

"Cedric Amos Diggory, you prat! What if something more serious had happened to you out there? How would your mum and dad feel?" I said admonishingly, my eyes welling up again.

Dammit, since when did I get so emotional?

"How do you think I would feel?"

Cedric's face reddened and I could sense his shame. "I-I'm sorry Gia, I wasn't thinking."

"Damn right you weren't," I said hotly, before wiping my eyes and straightening up. "What injuries did Madam Pomfrey say you have?"

"He crushed his entire left arm," the same boy that had spoken before said, "Madam Pomfrey had to vanish all of his bones in that arm and she gave him Skele-Gro Potion to regrow them. He's also got a concussion and fractured ribs, and as you can see, a load of nasty cuts and bruises."

"Thank you …?" I trailed off questioningly.

"Gabriel Tate," the boy said, offering a hand. I shook it briefly before turning back to Cedric and checking his chart.

"Well, it looks like you're due for another dose of Blood-Replenishing Potion and I can heal those cuts and bruises for you, they can't be pleasant to have," I said as I used a spell to cleanse his skin.

The seven other boys backed went and sat on other beds in order to give me more space, and I had Gabriel bring me the crate that I'd set on one of the beds. Picking out a vial of the proper potion, I sniffed it just to be sure that it had been properly labeled. Once I was sure that it was perfectly safe, I conjured a spoon and measured out the correct dosage onto it before feeding it to Cedric, who grimaced at the taste. As I set about healing his smaller injuries, I engaged him in conversation.

"How have you been Cedric? I haven't really talked to you since I got here," I said softly.

"I know, I'm sorry Gia," Cedric said sadly. "It's been a really busy week already, seeing as this is our NEWT year and all. I'm fine either way, but how are you adjusting?"

"Well…it hasn't been easy," I said carefully, "but I've made some friends and I'm doing great in my lessons so far."

"Ah yes, I've heard that you've been hanging around that Malfoy kid. I'd be careful if I were you, Gia," Cedric warned me seriously.

"Oh, not you too, Ricky," I groaned, rolling my eyes. "I've known Draco almost as long as I've known you, he's not as bad as everyone thinks he is."

"If you're sure Gia," Cedric muttered, clearly unconvinced, "but if he steps one toe out of line toward you, I'll personally take care of him."

Gazing down at Cedric's handsome face, I smiled and kissed his forehead, deepening his blush. "Thank you, Oh Strong and Scary Cedric," I teased, "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you around to protect my good name."

"Oh shut it," Cedric rolled his eyes, and his friends snickered behind their hands.

"Thank you Miss Grey," Madam Pomfrey said as she entered the main ward and saw me finishing up with Cedric, "I'm afraid I had a floo-call from the Headmaster and Professor Sprout. Did you give him his needed Blood-Replenishing Potion?"

"Yes ma'am," I answered politely, "I checked his chart and gave him the right dosage. It was freshly brewed as well, and so it's at maximum potency."

"Is that why it tastes so horrid?" Cedric mumbled.

"Oh hush, you," I said, tapping his chest with my wand.

"Excellent work once again, Miss Grey, I knew I made the right choice in you." Madam Pomfrey said fondly, filling me with pride.

"Thank you. I enjoy helping wherever I can. The rest of the potions you asked for are in this crate," I explained, showing it to her. "As you can see, each vial is properly labeled and I already cast anti-breakage and preservation charms over each individual vial."

Madam Pomfrey's smile couldn't possibly get any larger than it was at that moment, and I was startled to see her eyes glistening. "It does an old woman's heart good to know that I have a reliable helping hand now," she said fondly. "I won't be around forever, perhaps you'd consider taking over when I retire, dear?"

"It certainly sounds like a worthy career choice Madam Pomfrey, but I haven't really given it much thought yet," I said honestly.

"Understandable dear, you are quite young." She nodded before picking up the crate. I knew how heavy it was and snapped my fingers.

"Tate, help Madam Pomfrey with that crate please, while I finish up with Cedric," I said, authority clear in my tone.

Said boy jumped to his feet and gently took the crate from the older woman, holding it as she took the vials out of it and neatly arranged it in her warded cupboard. As they continued this process, I healed the last of Cedric's smaller injuries and smoothed his hair away from his face. "You should be fine, Cedric," I said as I used a spell to check his vitals, "but promise me you'll take it easy and be more careful next time?"

"Of course Gia, I'm truly sorry," He said quietly.

"Thank you, Mr. Tate," said Madam Pomfrey once she'd finished, before brushing her hands off on her apron and turning a stern glare on the eight boys. "Now, after I talked with the Headmaster and your Head of House, it was decided that you won't receive detention this time, but if this happens again, you all risk suspension. This is very serious boys, I hope you realize that. Anything could've happened to you all out there without supervision, and Mr. Diggory here could've sustained a much more serious injury than a crushed arm and some fractured ribs."

All eight boys, including Cedric, looked down in shame and I stroked his hair soothingly.

"Mr. Diggory, you'll have to stay overnight and tomorrow, but you should be able to return to class on Monday morning. The rest of you may go, he needs his rest," Madam Pomfrey instructed. The boys said their goodbyes to Cedric, promising to visit him and apologizing for getting him hurt, before they left, leaving the three of us in the ward together.

"Is there anything else you need help with right now, Madam Pomfrey?" I asked, absently cleaning up the ward using magic.

"No dear, thank you. You've done more than I could've imagined today. Twenty points to Gryffindor," She rewarded with a smile. "I daresay it's almost time for dinner, you should go clean up and head down to the Great Hall. Mr. Diggory needs to eat and sleep now."

"Yes ma'am," I complied, kissing Cedric's forehead again and tucking him in before whispering goodbye and leaving the Hospital Wing.

As I headed up to East Tower, my stomach roared and I remembered that Draco and I had worked nonstop without a snack brewing those potions for Madam Pomfrey. I briefly wondered what Draco had been up to since I left him in Snape's lab, and pushed down a bit of guilt. Though a small part of me wanted to, I couldn't avoid Draco because of what happened today. The right thing to do would be to talk to him and straighten this out.

Once in East Tower, I used a hot, moist cloth to wash my face and neck, then washed my hands and used a spell to clean my dress, which had begun smelling of herbs. I took my hair out of its ponytail and let it fall down my back again before I was prepared to head down to dinner. When I entered the Great Hall, Gabriel personally approached me and thanked me for helping out Cedric. I could tell that Gabriel cared a great deal about my pseudo-brother and felt good knowing Cedric had such good people around him. When Gabriel and I separated, I headed for the Gryffindor Table and sat down in my usual seat.

"I have to admit it's great to see you lot," I smiled, "I haven't seen you all day. What have you all been up to?"

"Hermione's been making us study all day!" Ron moaned. Harry nodded fervently in agreement. Liz grunted a greeting from the depths of the same dark curse book she'd been working through all week.

"Good on you, Mione. Can't have these two prats falling behind, now can we?" I grinned at the girl, which she returned.

"Exactly what I was telling them," she said, glaring at the two boys.

When food appeared on the table before us, I dug in, my hunger returning full force. I moaned happily as I bit into a chunk of roast beef that I'd practically drowned in gravy.

"So, did you finish those potions for Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione asked a minute later.

"Yes, it's all thanks to Draco though, he helped me brew them. If not for him, I'd probably still be brewing," I admitted honestly, feeling Ron and Harry's change in attitude.

"That was nice of him," Hermione said firmly, apparently sensing the change in the two boys as well.

"Yes, but when I was taking them to the Hospital Wing, I saw Cedric in there," I said quietly.

"I didn't see him come into the Hall, is he alright?" She asked concernedly.

_She truly is a good person, inside and out,_ I thought briefly.

After explaining the situation to her, she shook her head. "That was pretty irresponsible of them, but I am glad that nothing worse happened to Cedric, or any of them. Was that Gabriel, the boy that approached you when you walked into the Hall?" she asked.

"Yes, I can tell that he and Cedric are rather close. It's nice to know that he has good friends here." I smiled fondly and continued eating. "Tomorrow Harry, you and I have some work to do, alright?"

"We do?" He asked obliviously.

I smiled mysteriously. "Yes, we do. But don't worry, you'll thank me later."

When dessert had been devoured and the table was left sparkling, all of us rose and headed for the doors, where I gave my friends apologetic looks. "I'll see you lot tomorrow at breakfast, alright?"

"You're running off again?" Harry asked, but I had already set off towards a familiar head of blonde hair.

"Draco," I said, reaching out and grabbing his arm.

When he turned around, his expression was guarded and I knew that he was still thinking about what had happened earlier. I attempted to smile at him, but sighed. "Do you want to stay with me tonight?" I whispered.

He raised an eyebrow but his posture relaxed some. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, come on," I said, taking his hand and tugging him towards the stairs.

He said a quick goodbye to two boys; one was tall with silky black hair, high cheeks, and flawless mocha colored skin. His hazel eyes were slanted, and I absently noted that he was rather pretty for a boy. The other boy was about Draco's height with creamy skin and brown hair of varying shades, his eyes were steel-colored and his figure was slightly more muscled than that of Draco's or the darker boy's. The two boys looked from Draco to me and back again, and I could see the smirks beginning on their faces and sense their amusement.

"Nott, Zabini," I greeted formally, in the same way that Draco would cautiously greet my friends.

"Grey," they drawled in unison.

"I suppose we'll see you tomorrow, Draco," said Nott, doing nothing to hide his mirth as he and Zabini followed the other Slytherins in the direction of the dungeons.

"Do – do they know?" I asked softly as we headed up to East Tower.

"They've both seen evidence of it, bruises and welt-marks, but I've only told Theo explicitly. Blaise is highly intelligent though, and he's most likely strung it together in his mind anyway," Draco replied.

"How's Zabini's mother?" I asked, a large smile blooming on my lips.

"She slapped me the last time I saw her."

"Wait – what?" I gasped, before pausing and howling with laughter. "You asked her, didn't you?"

"About the mysterious deaths of all seven of her husbands? Of course," Draco admitted sheepishly, "And she slapped me and told me not to mind a grown woman's business."

"Oh Merlin," I laughed, "I'd love to see Mrs. Zabini again someday. She has to have some kind of balls to pull something like that and never get caught."

Draco snorted. "I'm sure if you asked her, she'd say she has no idea what you're talking about. I doubt she'll slap you."

I howled with laughter again until tears leaked from my eyes, and didn't stop giggling until we were in my bedroom.

"Will you stop that? It wasn't that funny," Draco grumbled half-heartedly.

"I'm s-sorry Draco," I said, trying and failing to cover my continuing laughter.

"Oh really?" Draco said, suddenly approaching me predatorily. "I'll give you something to laugh about."

Without warning, Draco pushed me back onto my bed and pinned me down, holding both of my wrists over my head with one of his hands. His other hand hovered over my stomach and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, don't you –"

My warning was drowned out by loud laughter as Draco began tickling me without mercy. I squirmed and wiggled in an attempt to get away, but Draco was stronger than I'd thought and he was holding me down with all of his weight. Unless I used my enhanced strength, he had me trapped. He seemed to find my predicament amusing and began laughing as well. We chuckled, guffawed, hooted, and giggled until we were both red in the face and out of breath. Finally, when my sides ached and I had tears of laughter streaming down my face, Draco finally stopped and plopped down on his back beside me until we caught our breath.

"Gia?" Draco asked after a few minutes of companionable silence.

"Yeah, Draco?" I said softly.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to ambush you like that," he said, and I could sense his honesty.

"It's okay Dray, I was just caught off guard, you know?" I whispered, my heartbeat picking up.

Draco shifted onto his side until he was looking at me and I did the same, not realizing until that moment exactly how close we were lying next to each other. He gently brushed strands of hair from my face, and stroked my cheek again. "So if I gave you a chance to prepare, could I try again?" he asked softly, his eyes full of emotion.

All day, I had been mentally wrestling myself with that very same question and wondering if it was possible – if I could possibly have more than platonic feelings for Draco. Before my mind could even come up with an answer, I found myself nodding and staring Draco directly in the eye. Pushing himself up onto his hands, he held himself up over me and closed the distance slowly, doing as he promised and giving me a change to reject him or not. But I didn't reject him. I didn't turn my head away or tell him to stop. When his eyes drifted shut, I allowed mine to shut as well and it seemed time stood still in anticipation for what was about to happen. I only had a second to wait before incredibly soft lips pressed gently against mine, and my entire body flooded with an odd tingling sensation that seemed to travel from my lips down into lower regions. I felt a sudden burst of pure _want_ and reached up, wrapping my arms around Draco's neck, moving my lips in time with his. He responded to this and deepened the kiss before rolling onto his back so that I was lying on top of him. This excited me and I slipped my tongue in his mouth as he ran his fingertips up my sides, causing me to shiver pleasantly. I pulled back a minute later to catch my breath, both of our heartbeats thundering in our ears, and we simply stared at each other.

Without a word, Draco gently maneuvered me onto the mattress and bent down to kiss my forehead before rolling off of my bed onto his feet. "Goodnight Gia," he said quietly as he left the room, closing the door behind him. As I listened closely, I heard the door to the right open and close and I blew out a deep breath and let my head fall back.

What the hell was I getting myself into?


	8. Lockdown

**Chapter 8**

Sunday morning I awoke gradually, unwilling to get out of bed as I thought back to the previous night. I could almost still feel Draco's lips on mine, but despite how my body had responded the previous night, there was something niggling at the back of my mind. It hadn't been everything I'd expected it to be. At that thought, I sighed deeply. I had liked the feeling of having someone's body pressed against mine and enjoyed the rush of pleasure that accompanied a good kiss, but there was something missing – the same something that had been missing when I kissed Liz. What was it?

_Emotion_.

The word resonated in my mind repeatedly and seemed to shatter my thoughts. Emotion. Both kisses had garnered a physical reaction from me, but there was no romantic feeling behind them. Now that I had solved the mystery of my feelings over Draco…and even Liz, I expected to feel some sort of relief but I didn't. I was worried about how Draco would feel when we came face to face, sooner than later seeing as he was in the next room over. I worried about unintentionally hurting Liz's feelings and losing a great friend in the process.

Groaning softly, I decided to deal with it as it happened and rolled out bed after stretching. After taking care of my morning business, I took my time showering and pampering my skin, as well as picking out an outfit for the day. After the extravagance of the previous day, I had decided against getting really dressy. Instead, I slipped into light grey, tight sweatpants, a plain white-shirt, and white trainers, opting for black diamond earrings that were identical to the ones I'd given Liz. I braided my hair into one long, red braid and tied the end with an ivory ribbon, before strapping my wand to my right thigh. As I re-entered my bedroom, I froze upon seeing Draco lying on his back with his legs hanging off the bed, his hands folded behind his head and his eyes closed. He was dressed in formal clothing as always, and I rolled my eyes, ignoring the instant burst of wriggling in my stomach.

"Draco, don't you own any casual clothes?" I muttered before leaning over him and flicking his nose.

"Ouch!" he yelped, covering his nose with his hand as his eyes snapped open. "And you call that casual?" he said, leering playfully at me, though I sensed his tense emotions as well.

"It's casual for me," I shot back, "but you'll have to change, Mr. Malfoy."

"And if I refuse?" he said challengingly.

"I'll transfigure your clothes into a pink dress and matching sparkly heels," I threatened, straight-faced.

We glared at each other, neither of us blinking or moving a muscle, and remained like this for at least a full minute before Draco cursed and blinked. "Ha," I crowed, jumping up in triumph, "I win, as always."

"Oh shut it," Draco muttered, eyeing me warily as I raked my eyes over his body, deciding the best way to dress my new life-sized Ken doll.

I supposed that meant we were okay for the moment, but I hoped it wouldn't blow up in my face in the future…

"I've got it!" I said happily, clapping my hands and grabbing my wand. Focusing on transfiguring his clothes exactly as I pictured them in my mind, I changed his slacks into black jeans, his black dress shoes into white trainers, and his white button-up shirt into a tight, long-sleeved white sweater with the Slytherin crest on the left breast. Smiling largely, I reached forward and messed up his neat hair. "All done, go take a look at my brilliance." I said, shooing him towards my closet. When he entered, he seemed taken aback by the sheer amount of clothes around us before I pushed him in front of the mirror.

After a minute of silence, he finally said, "I look like a bloody muggle."

"A very attractive muggle, Draco. Come on, you have to admit that you look pretty good." I grinned, almost lecherously at him in the mirror.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Are you hitting on me, Miss Grey?"

"Only in your dreams, pretty boy," I shot back, giggling and watching Draco try to suppress a smile. "Come on, let's go down to breakfast and stun all those poor girls into silence."

"Wait, what! You mean I have to actually go out in public like this?" Draco hissed, dragging his heels as I pulled him by the hand towards the exit.

"Draco, if I have to use an Incarcerous spell and drag you there myself…" I trailed off threateningly.

One silent staring match later and I was happily parading a disgruntled Draco through the corridors of Hogwarts, attracting the attention of all. One poor girl even missed a step as she gawked at us, and would've gotten hurt if not for her friend breaking her fall. Thoroughly amused, we stopped outside of the semi-full Great Hall and I gestured to Draco to enter first, my lips trembling with barely suppressed mirth the entire time.

"Are you sure I have –"

"Quit stalling Draco and walk inside, I'm starving over here!" I groaned.

With a deep sigh, Draco squared his shoulders and adopted a look of casual indifference before striding confidently into the Great Hall. All movement stopped and Draco was subjected to the same treatment I had received the previous afternoon. As I walked in behind him, the whispers erupted and I patted Draco's arm sympathetically before prancing to the Gryffindor Table. Liz threw an arm around my shoulder and squeezed once before letting go as I sat beside her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hadn't even noticed my arrival as they were all still staring at Draco, who was walking with as much dignity as he could towards the Slytherin Table. While Harry's expression was one of pure shock, Ron appeared to be bouncing back and forth between confusion and hate, while Hermione…

I almost laughed out loud right then, for Hermione was eyeing Draco with what could only be called pure appraisal. She forced down the small smile that had begun on her lips and returned to fixing her breakfast, pausing only to cuff Ron on the back of the head. "Stop glaring at him Ronald, it's rude," she said, and I noticed the pink tinge in her cheeks.

My, my, my Miss Granger, is that a blush I see coming on?

Still grinning, I tapped Harry on the shoulder and he jerked out of his stunned stare at Draco and turned to me, his eyes automatically traveling down and back up again. As he met my eyes, he gave me that lopsided grin that set my heart stuttering in my chest. "Gia, you look as stunning as always," he said softly.

"In sweats?" I said, laughing.

"You make anything look good," he insisted.

"Thanks Harry, you're always so sweet," I said, returning his smile.

"Not always," Hermione muttered playfully as she pointedly ignored Ron's glare.

We began eating breakfast in silence, before Hermione took the opportunity to break it. "So, I'm going to assume that you're the reason Malfoy's dressed like…like a normal human being?" she asked, and I was almost shocked to see a hint of a smirk on the kind girl's face.

"You would be correct in that assumption, my dear Hermione," I replied jokingly. "He looks so much better, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does," said Hermione absently, as I glanced up at her, I saw that faint tinge in her cheeks again and my lips twitched.

This was just too good, but I bet Ron would bust a vein in his forehead if he found out.

When breakfast was over, I nudged Harry and stood up. "Come on Harry, we've got places to go and people to see," I said, tugging his hand. "You three don't mind if I steal him away for a while, do you?"

"I –"

"Of course we don't, Gia," Hermione said, pointedly cutting off whatever Ron had been about to say. "We'll be in the library if you need us."

"What she said," said Liz, taking a break from her own mountainous breakfast.

"We'll meet you two down here for lunch," I promised, before leading Harry towards the Great Hall doors. I felt the stares of all during this walk, and glanced towards the Slytherin Table. When I made eye contact with Draco, I winked and blew him teasing kiss, laughing as he rolled his eyes.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked as we walked along the corridors.

"Oh nothing Harry, but I hope you're ready to drop Divination… I mean, unless you'll miss Trelawney?" I teased as I led him towards our destination.

Harry snorted. "I will certainly not miss that fraud. Where are you taking me, Gia? Dumbledore's office is the other way," he pointed out.

"We're not going to see Dumbledore," I said, trying to keep the ice out of my voice. To say that I was still suspicious and angry at the old man over our meeting Monday night was an understatement. "We're here to see McGonagall."

Before Harry could speak, I raised my hand and knocked three times on the door leading to Professor McGonagall's office. A stern "Come in" was heard through the wooden door and I led the way inside. Looking around as we walked in, I immediately noted that McGonagall's office was exactly like her – clean and practical. As we walked directly up to her desk, where she seemed to be grading papers, I watched her take in my casual outfit, nothing the barest brightening in her eyes.

"I apologize for interrupting your work Professor, but I would like to ask you something regarding Harry's schedule," I said, immediately getting to the point.

No need to waste her time.

She glanced at Harry, who shifted uncomfortable before meeting her gaze, and set down her quill. "What can I help you with Miss Grey, Mr. Potter?"

"Well, I'm sure you're aware of my arrangement with Professor Dumbledore in regards to my elective choice of Self-Study," I started, pausing until she nodded and gestured for me to continued, "well, I was wondering if it was possible to allow Harry to drop Divination and instead join me in Self-Study?"

McGonagall stared unblinkingly at me and I unflinchingly met her stern stare, though on the inside, I was squirming like a child that had been caught doing something bad. "And why haven't you taken this matter to the Headmaster, seeing as he is the one you originally came to this agreement with?" she asked finally.

"Professor Dumbledore is a very busy man Professor, and as Deputy Headmistress as well the Head of our House, I figured you would be the best person to speak to about it," I began, attempting a vague form of flattery. "I know that students don't usually get to change their electives, and neither Harry nor I expect special treatment, but you must know that Divination is – forgive me – absolute rubbish –" I was almost amazed to see her thin lips twitch at that, "and Harry could use all that I can teach him if he were to join me. I'm positive that you've heard of his adventures during his time here at Hogwarts and the rumors of…well you know," I said cautiously, noting the slight paling of her skin, "well I can help Harry at least learn how to better defend himself against all sorts of dangers."

Harry shifted awkwardly beside me, having remained silent during this exchange, and we waited as McGonagall seemed to ponder my justifications for the request. After several agonizingly long seconds, McGonagall finally sighed.

"Very well Potter, Miss Grey, I will allow this change in your electives, and will notify both the Headmaster and Professor Trelawney. Don't make me regret this. You had better work hard Potter, and I expect to see an actual change," she said sternly.

"Yes ma'am, and thank you Professor," Harry and I said respectively, before turning around and leaving.

Once we were in the corridor and I had closed the door behind us, Harry surprised me by wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me up, spinning in a circle. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist and I rested my hands on his shoulders. When he stopped spinning, he was grinning happily up at me and slowly, very slowly, set me down on my feet. As he did this, I was only too aware of our bodies rubbing together as well as that faint charge of energy that now accompanied Harry wherever he went.

"Thank you Gia! I couldn't bear being stuck with that loon for another few years," he gushed happily. With his high emotions, I felt the electrical current on his skin spring to life and I yelped, jerking my body away from his.

"Damn, I'm sorry Gia, I don't know –"

"It's fine Harry," I said, catching my breath even as my eyes watered, "it's a result of your growth spurt. Just try not to get too excited when you're touching me okay?"

"Okay," Harry said, his mood plummeting.

Cautiously, I poked his arm and tensed, but as I felt no shock, I grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the main staircase. "Come on Harry, this conversation is long overdue and we have some other things to discuss now that I'll be training you during Self-Study," I explained as we climbed the steps quickly, before they could move.

"Conversation about what?" asked Harry, confused.

"You."

When we arrived in East Tower, I gestured for Harry to take a seat on one of the armchairs while I pulled one up directly in front of him and sat in it, tucking my feet under me. "Well Harry, before I can know how to properly train you, I'd have to know more about you, your strengths and weaknesses, your background – that sort of thing," I began slowly.

As soon as I said _background_, I sensed Harry's pulse quicken the slightest bit.

"What does my background have to do with training?" Harry asked, almost successfully hiding the nervousness in his voice.

"Things like accidental magic, old injuries, special skills will all help me determine the best training program for you," I said calmly, even as I sensed the charged energy around Harry begin to hum.

"I-I suppose…what do you want to know?" Harry said quietly, fingering the hem of his shirt.

"Well first, how about you tell me about your family?" I started, leaning back as I heard the first crackle of power coming from Harry.

"My…family," he repeated, the scents of loathing and anger reaching me, "if you can call them that, consists of my mother's sister, Petunia Dursley, her husband, Vernon Dursley, and their son," he sneered, "Dudley Dursley. Dudley's about a month older than me."

"So you two must be close then, being so near in age?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as Harry snorted.

"The day Dudley and I become close is the day Voldemort will prance into Hogwarts, bend over, and kiss Dumbledore's saggy –"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I get it! I get it!" I yelled, covering my ears even as my stomach heaved at the image. "Tell me about your relationship with the Dursleys," I said quickly, if only to get off the subject of the Dark Lord and our Headmaster engaging in that sort of…activity.

"Well, I'm not sure how, but I ended up on their doorstep sometime after my parents were killed," Harry said softly, "and from that day on, they let me know just how much of a burden I was – how much they didn't want me – how much they wished they could send me to the nearest orphanage. My bedroom was –" he stopped and took several breaths, understandable as the crackling around him began growing louder and harder to ignore, "was the cupboard under the stairs."

I heard a loud ripping sound.

Following Harry's wide eyes, I looked down at the arms of the chairs and saw that my black claws had sprung out and ripped through the chair's fabric. "Oh don't pay those any mind," I said, attempting to sound nonchalant, "please, finish your story."

The surprise of seeing my claws must've shocked Harry out of his own anger, because the charged air around him began to dissipate. "From the time that I could stand in a chair and reach the stove, I was practically their slave. I cooked all of the meals, even though I was fed only their scraps. I cleaned that entire house until my arms felt as though they would fall off; and I was their punching bag, for all three of them. My cousin Dudley was the neighborhood bully, and often took his aggression and enjoyment out on me by beating me up. I was much smaller than him, seeing as he's the size of a baby whale, and even if I tried to fight back, my Uncle Vernon would take over. And it wasn't too uncommon for Aunt Petunia to take swing at me with a frying pan if I didn't do everything exactly how she wanted it done."

I was torn between sorrow and pure bloodlust, and in the back of my mind, I was vaguely aware of my chest rumbling with the beginnings of a growl.

"Tell me some good things Harry," I whispered, my voice strained from trying to remain calm.

"I accidentally turned my teacher's wig blue when she was berating me in front of the class," he said suddenly, smiling at the memory. "And – and I shrunk one of Dudley's horrid old sweaters that Aunt Petunia tried to force me to wear. One time, when Dudley and his gang were chasing me, I appeared on the roof of the school."

"You Apparated?" I gasped, impressed. "That must've taken an amazing amount of power to do so at such an early age."

"I suppose so," said Harry slowly, "and every time Aunt Petunia shaved all of my hair off, it grows back overnight."

"Impressive," I commented, "anything else?"

"On Dudley's eleventh birthday, we went to the zoo. I…I talked to a boa there in the Reptile House, and accidentally vanished the glass and set him free," said Harry.

"It must be amazing to be able to talk to any sort of animal, especially snakes. They're supposed to be incredibly smart creatures," I said honestly. "Well, now that I know more about you, this is what I have in mind. There are such things called nutrient potions that – along with proper meals and exercise – can counteract your malnourishment and can bring your body up to where it should be for a boy of your age and power level. You'd have to take a vial of the potion with every meal, as well as one before you go to sleep as it helps speed up your metabolism and digest food faster. They'll increase your appetite, but with the training we'll be doing, you're in no danger of getting fat."

"You'd really do all of that for me?" said Harry, clearly touched.

"Of course Harry, I told you I would help you and I will. I…" I paused and leaned forward, caressing his cheek, "I care about you Harry, a great deal too, and I'll do anything I can for you."

"Thank you," he said thickly.

"Don't thank me yet," I said, leaning back and attempting to smile at him, "once training starts, you'll likely hate me. Now, I'll be training you physically, mentally, and of course, magically –"

"Magically, I can understand, and even physically, but – mentally?" Harry asked.

"We'll worry about that when we get there, Harry. The most important thing for you to focus on now is getting into tiptop shape. When you've completed the first part of physical training, your body will be able to better sustain your immense magic and will also make it easier to train you mentally," I explained, shifting back in my seat. "Now, this physical training will be incredibly intense and –"

I paused and my ears perked up as I heard footsteps coming up the staircase behind Isavéla's portrait, and I bolted up and grabbed my wand. No one was supposed to be able to get past the enchantments at the entrance of the short corridor. Creeping forward, I gestured for Harry to remain quiet as I approached the exit door. Wand pointed straight forward, I magically opened the door, a curse on my lips –

Only to see Draco standing there rather awkwardly.

"Err – the portrait let me in," he said, shoving his hands in his pocket.

"Who is it, Gia?" Harry called.

Instantly, Draco's expression darkened and his nostrils flared. "Oh, I suppose I'm interrupting then? Fine, I'll leave."

Grabbing his wrist, I pulled him towards me. "Don't be ridiculous Draco, you're always welcome here. And if Isavéla let you in without me accompanying you, then she must trust you," I reassured him, practically dragging him back into the common room where Harry stood up and gripped his wand.

"What the hell is he doing here?" said Harry angrily.

"Oh please Potter, as if you have more right than me to be here," Draco drawled meanly. "You hardly deserve to be at Hogwarts, period. A pathetic half-blood excuse for a wiz –"

"_Expelliarmus_!"

"_Affligo_!"

"_Protego_!" I yelled, a red shield snapping into place and taking the impact of the two spells Harry and Draco had shot at each other.

"That is enough!" I growled, yanking Draco forward and pushing him into the chair I had vacated and forcing Harry back down into his own seat. I loomed angrily over both boys and my glare was enough to subdue them from attacking each other again.

"I allow you both to enter a sacred place of my ancestors and you dare try to attack each other in here?" I snapped.

"He star –"

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you know that you were raised better than that! If your mum was here to witness such a disgusting display of – of muggle behavior," Draco flinched, "why, she'd faint from disappointment. You should've never insulted Harry!" I reprimanded, swelling in my anger until I towered over them both.

"Exactly Mal –"

"And you," I said, rounding on him, "Harry James Potter, you should know better than to let someone bait you like that! And especially to resort to a magical attack when he didn't do anything more than say a few childish words. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"But –" Both boys tried.

"Silence!" I growled, reveling in the immediate compliance. "The three of us have some rather important things to discuss, and we are going to do it in a civilized, mature manner, understood?"

Harry and Draco glared daggers at each other, and I could feel Harry's energy beginning to crackle. Patience thin, I grabbed both of their ears and pinched hard. "Understood?" I repeated, my voice soft and deadly.

"Yes Gia!" Both boys yelped.

My smile was chilling. "Good, good," as I perched on the edge of the glass coffee table. "To make a long story short Harry…Draco needs your help," I said bluntly, ignoring the glare Draco shot my way.

"What?" Harry said, his eyes popping. "What could this pampered prat possibly need my help with? As if I would help him anyway –"

"I told you Potter's head was too far up his own arse to listen," Draco spat, standing up.

"Draco, sit down," I said. When he neither sat down nor headed for the door, I softened my tone. "Please Dray, sit down."

Reluctantly, Draco sat back down and pointedly avoided looking at Harry, who was clearly flabbergasted by Draco's outburst.

"Harry, I thought we were going to be mature about this?" I asked rhetorically. "You should know better than to judge based on appearances, being who you are."

Slightly ashamed, Harry crossed his arms and his chin rose a bit. "What's Malfoy ever done for me besides his damnedest to ruin every year at Hogwarts for me? Why should I help him out?"

"Because I thought Gryffindors – and especially Potters – were better than that," I said emotionlessly.

Harry and I stared silently at each other for a long minute, before he glanced at Draco, who was staring up at the high-domed ceiling. He seemed to be struggling with himself, but ultimately, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll hear him out," He bit out, sitting back in his armchair.

"Draco?" I prompted.

"I told you that I don't trust him, I'm not telling him," said Draco stubbornly.

I could see Harry firing up again, and sent a silent prayer up to Merlin that I would make it through this conversation without killing either one of them.

"Fine, Harry – I'm going to put this in a way that you'll better understand," I said seriously, staring Harry directly in the eye. "Draco's had the magical equivalent of your childhood with the Dursleys, and he needs your help to free himself and his mother from his father's control."

Totally floored, Harry's jaw hit his chest and he openly gaped at Draco, his eyes shocked but also disbelieving. Draco, however, shot me an odd look. "What do you mean I had the magical equivalent of Potter's childhood? There's no way –"

"Malfoy, if what Gia says is true," Harry said, clearly with immense effort, "then I completely understand what you went through."

"Don't!" Draco suddenly growled angrily, sitting up straight, his stormy-grey eyes blazing. "You could never come close to understanding what I went through because of that bastard!"

"And you could never have come close to guessing that my bedroom for the first ten years of my life after my parent's death was the cupboard under the stairs," said Harry coldly.

"I – wait what?" Draco gasped, his rant dying out as quickly as it had appeared.

"That's right Malfoy, I certainly did not enjoy the pampered lifestyle that people like you and Snape think I did. My childhood consisted of daily beatings, unimaginable punishments, constant belittling, and starvation even –" Harry's voice broke off, even as his eyes iced over.

Now it was Draco's turn to stare wide-eyed at Harry, wrestling with himself to accept what he'd just heard or dismiss it because of his previous notions.

"Im-impossible…" Draco breathed disbelievingly.

"Impossible? I wish." Harry snorted, but then he leveled an understanding look at Draco. "But it's not that far of a stretch to believe that Lucius Malfoy was just as much an abusive bastard as my Uncle Vernon."

"You have no idea the extent of his cruelty," Draco muttered angrily, looking down at his hands clenched in his lap.

"Malfoy, while my Uncle Vernon couldn't use magic and torture me that way, he was plenty creative."

Draco's head snapped up and he stared searchingly at Harry, and when the two boy's eyes met, I could just tell that a sort of understanding had been reached. "If you're Uncle did the same things to you, that my father did to me Potter," he took a deep shuddering breath, "then I understand and…"

_Could this really be happening?_ I wondered, my heart lifting and sinking with happiness and sorrow at the same time. It was odd – feeling the contradicting emotions so strongly.

"WILL ALL STUDENTS PLEASE IMMEDIATELY REPORT TO THEIR COMMON ROOMS. THIS IS A LOCKDOWN. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT, WILL ALL STUDENTS PLEASE IMMEDIATELY REPORT TO THEIR COMMON ROOMS. THIS IS A LOCKDOWN…"

Lockdown…

Lockdown…

Dumbledore's voice reverberated against the walls and faded away, leaving Draco, Harry, and I staring wide-eyed at each other. The graveness of the headmaster's tone had not been lost on any of us, and my eyes dragged to the two boys, both of whom were pale and confused.

"A lockdown?" Draco whispered. "For what?"

Standing up slowly, I removed my wand from its holster again and my eyes darted around the common room, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end and the tension growing as the silent seconds ticked by. "A lockdown...does that happen often here?" I asked quickly.

Harry shook his head numbly. "Twice, I think, since we've been students – after the basilisk attacks in second year and when Sirius broke into the castle last year."

Draco's eyes snapped to Harry. "You're talking about Black, right?"

Almost defensively, Harry jerked his head in a brief nod.

"Well, we should be safe here, seeing as no one else knows about this place," I said, sweeping over the room once more before looking at Harry, "but do you think Ron, Hermione, and Liz got up to Gryffindor Tower safely?"

That seemed to snap Harry out of whatever daze he'd been experiencing, and within a second, Draco and I were staring at his retreating back as he headed towards the exit, wand in hand.

"Where are you going, Harry?" I said, running forward and grabbing his arm. I heard Draco stand up behind us. "You heard Dumbledore. Everyone has to stay in their common rooms. You don't know what's out there."

"And neither do they, I have to find them… to make sure they're okay," he said determinedly.

"Harry, I'm sure they'll be fine. The Professors are undoubtedly patrolling the corridors to escort students to their common rooms and besides, those two can take care of themselves. Plus Liz…" her enormous tiger form flashed through my mind, "Well Liz is pretty badass, to be honest."

"She's right Potter, don't be an idiot," said Draco, walking up behind me. "You don't have to be the bloody hero all the time."

Harry stared at Draco, but apparently decided not to entertain Draco's words with an answer. "Gia, I'm going to look for my friends. You can come with or you can stay here…with him," Harry said firmly, yanking his arm out of my grip, "but you're not going to stop me."

I listened as Harry ran down the marble steps that ended behind Isavéla's portrait and my heart pounded in my ears…indecisiveness pulling me in two different directions. My sense of self-preservation told me to stay, my argument to Harry still withstanding: we didn't know what was out there. I hadn't made it on my own this long to be killed by whatever had caused this lockdown. Besides, Prim would kill me if anything happened to me… I took an unsure step towards the open door, but was stopped by Draco grabbing my wrist.

"You aren't seriously going to chase after him, are you?" he asked incredulously. "You could get killed out there!"

"And so could he, Draco. I'm not going to let him go out there alone. You can stay here," I said, reaching up and caressing his cheek, "but I can't."

As I said this, I slipped my wrist out of Draco's hand and ran out after Harry, leaving Draco standing alone in the common room.

I caught up with him at the bottom of the staircase just before he reached out to push open Isavéla's portrait. I grabbed the back of his shirt and roughly pushed his back against the stone wall on our left. Taken aback, Harry froze and stared at me, the golden glow of my eyes washing over his face and lighting up the dark passage. I stared at him with the utmost seriousness, and my tone was unforgiving and unyielding as I spoke next.

"I'm coming with you – no, shut up and listen," I said when he opened his mouth to speak. "I'm coming with you, but we're doing this my way. We are _not_ – not going to run blindly around the castle, screaming their names and hoping we come across them. We don't have time to make a plan, but you will follow my lead and do as I tell you, understood?"

Harry grinned gratefully, and nodded. "Understood," he said, anticipation and determination filling up the small passage.

"Bloody Gryffindors…death of me…by Merlin…" Draco grumbled as he ran down the marble steps, wand in hand. He paused as Harry and I stared, astounded, at him. "What? You didn't think I'd let you leave with Potter as your only protection, did you?"

Harry and I exchanged large grins, and I reached and grabbed Draco's hand, squeezing it briefly. "Alright, keep your eyes and ears open, keep up with me, and for Merlin's sake, please don't trip and fall," I said, rolling my eyes, but only Harry caught the reference to muggle horror films. "Ready?" When the two of them nodded, I grinned, feeling my adrenaline hum to life.

"Then let's do this."

Slowly pushing open Isavéla's portrait, I thanked whatever magic prevented it from creaking loudly in the heavy silence outside of East Tower. With Draco and Harry breathing down my neck, I led the way down the short corridor that my residence was hidden in, keeping to the walls. Stopping at the entrance, where the invisible barrier separated East Tower from the rest of the castle, I took a deep breath and stuck my head through, peering up and down the corridors to my left and right. Upon seeing nothing but empty hallways, I looked back at Harry and Draco. "We're going to check in Gryffindor Tower first," I said, whispering so low that the two had to lean forward to hear me. "There's no point in wandering about the whole castle if those three are already safely in the Tower."

After receiving two mute nods, we passed through the barrier and crept into the dimly lit corridor, heading in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower. On our left, the stone walls had large windows at regular intervals and as we journeyed, I peered out of these, trying to discern if there was any activity going on outside, but I saw nothing but empty grounds and the still lake. The wall on our right however, was covered with moving portraits, all of which watched our silent progress with disapproving eyes.

"You three should be headed to your common rooms. You heard the Headmaster –" a golden-haired man reprimanded quietly.

"Bugger off," Draco muttered, ignoring the affronted glare the man shot him from within his portrait. Grabbing Draco's wrist, I yanked him forward and shot him an annoyed look. We quickened our pace towards the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower and arrived within minutes, staring up at the portrait of the Fat Lady. "This is where the Gryffindor common room is?" Draco murmured to himself.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked.

Rolling my eyes at Draco, I scratched my head. "Err – Harry, what's the password?" I asked.

"You mean you don't know?" he asked incredulously.

"Come on, you know I don't stay in this tower. I never bothered to learn it!" I hissed quietly, glancing behind us every few seconds. "Just tell her the damn password."

"Belladonna," Harry said finally, breathing a sigh of relief as the Fat Lady swung open. Climbing through the portrait hole behind Harry, Draco following after me, I was almost taken aback to see the entire House crowded in the common room. We froze just inside the entrance and the Fat Lady's portrait swung shut ominously behind us. It was disturbing to see so many pairs of eyes travel from Harry, to me, and finally, landing on Draco, who glared back at all of them.

"What the hell is that snake doing in here?" someone yelled from the back of the crowd. Ignoring the speaker, I scanned the room, as did Harry, and we both frowned.

"I don't see them, do you?" Harry muttered, leaning towards me.

"No…" I sighed. "Listen up you lot, did anyone see Ron, Hermione, and Elizabeth come into the Tower since the lockdown was announced?"

A petite girl with pale, freckled skin and bright red hair pushed her way to the front of the room, and I saw immediately that it was Ginny, Ron's little sister. Her eyes glistened as approached us, shaking her head. "No one's seen them since breakfast, Gia," she said worriedly.

Harry and I exchanged long glances and I nodded, tilting my head towards the portrait hole. "Thanks Ginny," Harry said, briefly squeezing her shoulder, before the three of us turned around.

"And where do you three think you're going?" a male voice called. Turning around, I recognized the seventh year as Kenneth Towler.

"We're going to find Ron and Hermione, of course," Harry stated plainly, backed up with my firm nod. Draco simply leaned back on the wall beside the portrait hole.

"No you're not," Kenneth said, staring us down sternly, "you're going to stay right here until the lockdown is over. You heard Dumbledore's orders."

I've just about had it with people mentioning Dumbledore and his bloody orders.

"Oh, and I suppose you'll stop us if we try to leave anyway?" I asked challengingly, visibly fingering my wand.

"You'd attack a fellow Gryffindor?" Kenneth gasped, appalled.

"Both of us would," Harry said firmly, "if any of you try to stop us from going to find my best friends…and I'm sure Malfoy here wouldn't mind helping us out, either."

The dark grin Draco flashed sent a chill down many spines in the common room, despite the roaring fire in the fireplace. Kenneth looked at three of us, wands at the ready and our expressions unwavering, before sighing and rolling his eyes. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"We've already wasted enough time in here, let's go," Draco said, placing one hand on the back of the portrait.

"Wait!"

"Bloody hell, does every Gryffindor in here have to make a goddamn speech?" he groaned.

"Harry, you find my brother and bring him back in one piece, understand?" Ginny said, glaring at Harry and clenching her fists. He reached out and quickly squeezed her shoulder.

"Sure thing, Ginny," Harry said, before turning around and following Draco out of the portrait hole, and after a brief look around the common room, I followed as well.

Once we were back out into the corridor, I led the way towards the main staircase, peering round corners and stretching my hearing out. "We're going to the library, that's where they said they'd be," I whispered over my shoulder.

As we crept slowly down the marble staircase, with the dull sound of trainers against the floor and our racing hearts thundering in my ears, I felt uneasy. I kept peering behind us, unable to shake whatever was causing the hair on my neck to stand on end. If I had to put a name to it – I'd compare it to being watched. But that's ridiculous right? There are hundreds of portraits all around us; of course we're being watched. But somehow my own thoughts couldn't reassure me.

When we stepped onto the fourth floor, I stopped breathing as I heard two sets of footsteps running in our direction. "Hide!" I hissed, desperately looking around.

I slipped behind a broad suit of armor standing in the corner nearest me, while Harry and Draco squeezed themselves into the same dark alcove. Rolling my eyes, I focused on the darkness around them until the shadows thickened enough that their pale skin and Draco's white-blonde hair weren't visible. We only had a second to spare before two older students – prefects, I realized as I saw their shiny badges – ran straight down the center of the corridor, looking terrified and disheveled.

"How the – bloody hell – did that thing – get so big? And did you – see all the – blood downstairs by the library?" the female Ravenclaw prefect wailed, slowing to a stop and gasping for breath. I winced at how loudly Harry and Draco's hearts were beating, and I was positive that if I could hear their slightly heavy breathing, then the prefects could too.

"I don't know, but it's got to be at least fourteen feet long and that blood – well try not to think about it for now. But we have to keep patrolling until Dumbledore says the lockdown's over, come on," her male counterpart said determinedly, pulling her along.

"If we live through this, I'm turning in this bloody badge!" the girl muttered.

When they disappeared around the corner behind us, we shared horrified looks. Slipping out from behind the suit of armor, I brushed my sweats off and looked both ways down the corridor.

"You don't think –"

"Of course not," I said quickly, anticipating Harry's pessimistic question. "Come on, we're wasting time."

Creeping further down the corridor in the direction that the prefects had come from, I could hear footsteps off in the distance, perhaps a few corridors over. Just as we turned the corner, the strong scent of herbs and potions wafted towards me and I spun around, shoving the boys back. "Snape's coming!" I hissed, looking around.

Snape was much more perceptive than two prefects, and we needed better hiding spots. His footsteps became closer and now I could hear his breathing – he'd turn the corner any second now. My eyes fell on a plain, unmarked door and I rushed forward, thanking Merlin as the knob turned easily in my hand. Ducking inside what seemed to be a dusty, unused classroom, I yanked Draco inside with me, Harry following after. We slowly crept towards the back of the class, careful not to even breathe too loudly as Snape's footsteps were upon us.

My blood froze.

"Dammit Harry," I whispered angrily, "you left the door cracked!"

Slowly, the two boys followed my pointing finger and paled. Draco glared at the dark-haired boy and murmured, "Way to go, Potter. Aren't you supposed to be some sort of expert on this sort of thing?"

I shushed Draco and gave Harry a warning look not to respond to his taunts. Honestly, could I have been stuck with a more unlikely pair of boys to sneak around the castle with? We held our breath, straining to listen as Snape started to pass the classroom.

CRASH!

My head snapped left and my nostrils flared as I saw what had caused the loud racket – Draco had knocked over an old trashbin.

"Way to go, Malfoy," Harry whispered, unable to pass up the opportunity. I firmly slapped a hand over both of their mouths as all sound in the corridor outside our classroom stopped – Snape had stopped walking. I heard him turn on his heels and the swish of his robes as he crept toward the cracked door.

Dammit, if I get detention or worse because of these two idiots…

None of us moved a muscle, or even blinked, as Snape's shadow became visible at the crack and his fingers wrapped around the door. Draco sighed in defeat, the sound muffled by my hand, as Snape began pushing the door open.

This is it.

Just then, the sound of loud, terrified screams and deafening bangs – the sounds of spells being cast – shattered the tense silence. "Severus! SEVERUS!" Professor McGonagall's oddly shrill voice screamed, seemingly for help. The door stopped moving and my knees damn near buckled in relief as Snape dashed off in the direction of the commotion.

"Well, that was close," Draco breathed. The glare Harry and I leveled at him caused his mouth to snap shut.

After checking to make sure that the coast was clear, we hurried towards the library, desperate to get from out in the open. The main area of the Hogwarts library was a massive, cathedral-like place, with two long arms stretching to the left and right of the main entrance, each lined with towering bookshelves at least four or five stories high. Wooden balconies lined each level and polished wooden catwalks overlooked most of the main library, and above us were stain-glass windows, depicting famous moments in wizarding history. Although the round librarian's desk in the center of the room was absent of Madam Pince, we could still see books flying from there up to the shelves where they each belonged. As we searched the impressive library, I saw that there were also antechambers leading off from the main area, where students could have a bit of privacy when studying. The antechambers were also lined with full, high shelves and there were plenty of ancient portraits around the place. There were also many staircases to give students access to the higher floors of the library. As I walked past a plain wooden door with a large lock on it, I shivered as I felt the dark magic leaking from within.

"What the hell is that?" I asked Draco, as he walked up behind me.

"That's the Restricted Section," he answered, giving the door an uneasy glance. "It used to be simply blocked off by a rope and a sign, until _someone_," and by someone I knew he suspected Harry, "broke in our first year and so they put this door up. I suppose it's magically unlocked unless you have a signed pass from a professor."

"They're not here!" Harry growled as he ran towards us. "Where could they possibly be?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Honestly, these are your best mates. Where would they hide if something dangerous got into the school?" he drawled.

Harry stared at Draco for a second before his skin paled. "They wouldn't!" he breathed.

"Wouldn't wha – Harry!"

Muttering about bloody impulsive boys, I chased after him as he raced towards the exit, Draco following close behind. Harry led us back to the main staircase and down to the second floor, where the scent of blood slammed into my nose and I heaved. We crept forward cautiously, seeing blood splattered on the floor and walls at odd angles when we heard a familiar scream. Abandoning all attempts to remain stealthy, Harry and I sprinted down the corridor, sliding in the blood on the floor as we turned the corner into the corridor that held the girls' bathroom.

"Herm – holy shit, what is that?" Harry gasped, scrambling to a stop as we registered the scene in front of us.

"It's a bloody snake, what else would it be Potter?" Draco growled, but I could smell the sweet scent of fear filling up the corridor. However, Draco was, in fact, correct.

The snake, which was currently poised over Liz, who was fearlessly covering Ron and Hermione with her own body, was certainly the largest snake I had ever seen with my own eyes. It was easily fourteen feet long and as thick as a bulky man's thigh, its deep green scales glinting in the light around us. The unbearable scent of dark magic and venom mixed together in the small space, and I gasped in deep breaths. The sound seemed to attract the snake's attention and it turned around, eyeing the three of us hungrily.

As I looked at its scaly face, I was positive that it was a female. She looked at Draco first, and tilted her head in a disturbingly human gesture, causing him to take a slow step backward. If I had to put a name to it, I'd say she recognized Draco – but that was impossible right? Next, she looked at Harry and hissed loudly, baring her fangs. Harry flinched and clenched his wand, but I frowned as I sensed her emotions. She was – pleased about something. It was incredibly creepy.

"Harry," I murmured from the corner of my mouth, "talk to her."

"What?" he breathed incredulously.

"Potter, you are a bloody Parselmouth! That is a goddamn snake – one that could probably swallow us all at once. Talk to the damn snake!" Draco practically snarled, his body trembling the slightest bit, he never took his eyes off of the snake.

Harry swallowed hard and took a slow step forward, freezing as the snake's eyes snapped to him. I could hear his heartbeat racing incredibly fast, faster than mine or Draco's, or even Ron and Liz and Hermione's, as we all stared at the two, utterly silent. I held my breath as Harry opened his mouth, and shivered as – instead of words – a harsh hissing fell forth from his lips. The snake seemed delighted that Harry could speak her language, but whatever she replied caused all the blood in Harry's face to drain.

"What'd she say?" I whispered urgently.

"S-she said – she's here for me," he said numbly.

"What! Why?" I exclaimed.

Before Harry could ask another question, the snake lowered her head and I stood rigidly, hardly daring to breathe as she sniffed me and her tongue darted out over my face. When she raised her head again, she hissed what could only be a snake-ish laugh. It disturbed me how intelligent and humanlike she was. "Why is she laughing?" I muttered to Harry as the snake began to hiss again.

He frowned. "She said something like '_So the hatchling is alive – master won't be pleased_," Harry translated slowly.

That didn't make any sense. Who would be displeased that I was alive? Unless – no, I was being paranoid… I had never even seen my father pet a snake at the zoo, let alone own and train one such as this one had been. So who else –

My blood froze as something my mother once told me finally made sense.

_We almost lost you, Princess. He tried so hard to get you – he wanted all of us._

I had never been informed of who the mysterious "He" was, nor had my mother told me further details beyond the fact that they'd almost been killed in a failed kidnapping attempt on me when I was baby, and it certainly hadn't been the only attempt. Before…_He _fell – before –

"The Dark Lord," I snarled, as everything clicked into place.

My father had always told me that there were those out there that would do anything to control and harness my power, or see me dead in the process – and now I understood who he was referring to.

"What?" Draco snapped, looking around frantically. "Where?"

"The snake," I growled, glaring at her, "she must belong to Vol –"

The snake shot forward with deadly speed, and I hardly had time to react, shoving Draco and Harry aside and taking a brutal head butt in my stomach. I had the wind knocked out of me as I was slammed onto my back, and desperately gasped for breath. The snake immediately wrapped herself tightly around my ankle and I gripped my wand, pointing it in her face. "_Diffindo_!" I spat, casting a strong cutting curse, mentally cursing as it harmlessly impacted her scales.

Shit, she must be magically resistant – like dragons.

"_Abigo_! _Alveusio_! _Incendio_!" I cast, becoming more and more frantic as the snake tightened her grip on my ankle.

Ron and Hermione had been ushered over to Harry and Draco, and together, the four began shooting spells at the snake's back, trying to distract her. I finally noticed the small trail of blood coming from Liz's nose and figured she'd already taken a few hard blows, judging from the amount of time it took her to rise to her feet.

"INCENDIO!" I roared, sending a huge stream of fire into her face. I succeeded in burning her eyes, but this only angered her and she clenched around my ankle, crushing it completely.

Pure, agonizing pain shot up my leg and it was impossible to hold in the ear-splitting scream of pain, but as it burst forth from my throat, it came out as a loud, completely wolfish howl. My eyes watered and my vision began blurring – fading in and out – the coppery scent of blood joining the dark magic in the air. Even as I desperately tried to fight through the pain, any slight moment of my leg sent another jolt of unbearable pain shooting up it.

"Gia!"

Through my excruciating haze, I vaguely heard people screaming my name, two male voices standing out from the others.

"Gia, wake up! Come on, get up!"

_What were they talking about? Was I not awake? And where is this heat coming from_? I wondered lazily, staring around at the black space around me. The strange heat began building and intensifying until I was sure that I should be sweating, but I wasn't. In fact, I couldn't see or feel anything, not even my own body.

As the heat became unbearable and searing, I was sure that my body had long since burned to a crisp, inside and out and that must surely explain why I couldn't feel it. Just when I was ready to give in to the pain, I felt a surge of primal power and my vision cleared. With an angry snarl, I curled forward, fangs bared, and clamped onto the snake with as much force as I could possibly muster. To my dark pleasure, it seemed her scales weren't built to withstand a Lycan bite and they sank into her; she let go of my crushed ankle, hissing in pain. Completely unsympathetic, I growled and viciously shook my head from side to side, even as the snake waved her thick body around wildly, trying her damnedest to throw me off. To my surprise, she slammed me against the stone wall and I unlatched my mouth from her body as I dropped and crumpled to the floor.

The moment I'd been struck, a ferocious roar rocked the hallway and an enormous tiger leapt over the boys' heads, blocking the snake from them. She lowered on her front paws and roared again in the snake's face, and they began to slowly circle each other.

Though clearly utterly shocked and terrified at the appearance of the tiger, I watched Ron, Harry, and Draco futilely cast spell after spell at the snake, distracting her. As the snake and Liz struck at each other and leapt back, a deadly game of cat and mouse, Hermione ran and kneeled over me.

"Oh Gia, are you alright?" Hermione said quickly, her eyes glistening as she looked over my bloodied and bruised body.

The snake finally struck Liz in the eye and she whined, falling back to recover. The snake used the distraction and snapped around and hissed, baring her fangs again, poising her body to strike. I opened my mouth to warn Hermione, but as I tried to speak, I coughed up blood instead, gasping as the pain in my torso surged.

"Gia! What? What is it?" Hermione asked frantically, trying to hold my head up as it lolled to the side.

"S-s-s," I tried, until my body wracked with bloody coughs again, and my heart constricted in my chest. It was costing me too much to try to speak, even as I felt my supernatural healing tingling throughout my body; my ankle was too damaged to fix without stronger healing magic, however. My dread mounted as the snake prepared to strike…

"Dammit Granger, move!"

_I must be hallucinating_… I thought as I watched Draco dive forward and tackle Hermione out of the way just as the snake darted forward, causing her to smash her head into the wall above me instead, crumpled stone raining over my immobile body. She poised again, shaking away her daze and I remained still so as not to disturb my healing, watching Draco help Hermione to her feet.

"Thank you – Malfoy," Hermione gasped, clutching her chest with a pale hand.

"Not the time Granger, but I will enjoy hearing that later…if we get out of this mess," Draco replied sardonically, hints of his old self resurfacing.

The snake was quite obviously livid now and she tried to strike at Hermione again, but Draco – in an act of Gryffindor-ish bravery – pushed her aside and took the blow, crashing into the wall. I heard a sickening crack and saw blood smear on the wall behind his head as he fell to the floor, completely unconscious. My vision bled red and that heat flared throughout me, fiercer than ever, as I used the wall to pull myself up to my feet.

Glaring at the snake, I fell forward on all fours as my fangs and claws grew longer than ever before. I felt the sides of my head tingling before my ears shifted into those of a wolf, and judging from the others gasping and the tingling in my tailbone, I had just sprouted a tail. The rage and bloodlust forced my head back as a vicious howl tore from my throat and numbed the pain in my ankle, causing it to subside to a dull throbbing. Racing forward so fast that the wall behind me exploded from the burst of power, I lunged at the snake, sinking my claws and fangs into her thick body. I ripped and clawed, tearing off chunks of flesh wherever I could.

_She hurt your pack! Kill – Kill – KILL!_ That vicious inner voice snarled, and I was only too happy to oblige.

As I continued my attack, she wrapped her body around mine and squeezed tightly, but even as I began to see black spots in my vision, I did not stop or slow down. It was as though my body had gone into some sort of ravenous autopilot mode. As I snapped at her head and my vision faded out more and more, I heard dull screaming and an oddly deep voice yelling. Briefly, I noted that no matter how tightly she held me, she'd never once tried to bite any of us…but before I could finish pondering that thought, my vision went black and I sank into peaceful oblivion.


	9. Secrets

**Chapter 9**

For the second time in a week, I awoke to multiple voices and blinding white light. Clenching my eyes shut, I groaned and tried to roll over, only to meet resistance around my wrist, ankles, and neck. A growl bubbled up in chest and although the lights dimmed, I was not appeased. My eyes snapped open and I found myself staring up at seven pale faces, though there were ten heartbeats in the room around me. Upon recognizing the faces, I took a deep breath to calm myself but instead inhaled the sweet scent of fear. My mouth began watering and I felt my fangs emerge, causing the group of seven to take a unanimous step backward. Closing my eyes once more, I forced down my sudden hunger, only opening them again when I felt the familiar weight of Nova's kitten form fall into my lap. She curled up and yowled softly, offering her silent support and when I was finally under control, I glared up at the bearded old man standing at the left side of my bed, nearest my head.

"Would someone like to explain why I'm tied down to a bloody hospital bed?" I asked, my voice silky and calm, sending shivers down the spines of all, though Snape hid his better than the others as he stared coldly at me.

"Y-you mean you don't remember?" stuttered Ron, standing farthest away from me.

I smiled darkly at him, the paling of his skin somewhat amusing to me. "If I remembered, I wouldn't be asking, now would I Ronald?" I asked sarcastically.

"Liz was right," came a somewhat familiar voice from farther beyond Dumbledore.

"She's bloody scary," the other voice murmured, though clearly amused.

Straining my head around the headmaster's tall form, my eyes immediately fell on Ezra and Elias, and behind them, tucked neatly in the hospital bed beside mine – was Liz, her head and torso wrapped in bandages. Although the twins outwardly appeared calm and carefree as always, their normally dark eyes contained that same deadly violet glint that Liz's always had when she was angry or feeling high emotions. Only a trained eye could see the tension in their jaws, or notice that they were positioned rather strategically around Liz's bed, putting themselves between her and everyone else in the room. They were standing guard over their older sister, who appeared to be sleeping.

Upon hearing a snort, I looked up to my right and saw Draco standing there, arms folded and a smirk on his lips. "My, my, my Weasley, you aren't scared she'll bite you again, are you?" he taunted.

"I WHAT?" I yelled, straining against my restraints again. With a loud rip, I broke free and sat up, freezing as Dumbledore, Snape, and Madam Pomfrey all pointed their wands at me. Slowly, I scooted back and leaned against the pillows there, eyeing the three adults warily.

"That's not necessary, Professor," said Harry, his voice hard, "she's clearly in control of herself right now."

"You can't be sure of that Potter, keep your mouth shut," snapped Snape coldly.

"Severus," Dumbledore said warningly, although he lowered his wand, Madam Pomfrey – and more reluctantly Snape – following suit.

"Can we get back to me now, and why you three think it's necessary to hold me at wand point?" I piped up agitatedly. "Or why Liz is laid up in a hospital bed!"

"I think it would be best if we start with the last thing you remember, Miss Grey?" Dumbledore said calmly, his twinkle worryingly absent.

_Kill – Kill – KILL!_

The words reverberated in my head and my eyes widened as the events replayed itself in my mind – it was like watching a horror movie in my own head. "We – we were fighting a snake…a really big snake…" I started slowly.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes… what else?"

I closed my eyes and allowed the memory to wash over me, the fear and desperation, the pain throughout my body – the bloodlust burning inside me. "D-did I kill it?" I whispered, pulling the white sheet tighter around my cold body.

"No," said Dumbledore gravely, "we believe that it had swallowed an emergency portkey, activated if it was severely injured…which it was. I suppose we have you to thank for driving out the beast, Miss Grey."

"Me?" I repeated incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "That thing was tossing me around like a ragdoll! If not for Liz and the others, I wouldn't be here right now – that, I'm sure of."

A faint hint of a twinkle appeared in Dumbledore's eyes at but he shook his head in disagreement. "Possibly, however, if not for your partial transformation, you and your friends might not have lasted as long as you did against the creature."

No mention of Liz's tiger form… It would've been impossible for the others to have missed her transformation. Glancing over at the family of three again, Ezra, the somewhat more dominant twin, caught my eye and shook his head shortly.

So the cat was somehow still in the bag for her… but wait –

"P-partial transformation?" I stuttered, looking around at Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco.

"Those four already witnessed it firsthand, Miss Grey, there's no need to keep this a secret from your friends any longer," said Dumbledore quietly.

Draco glanced disdainfully at the Headmaster, before his expression softened as he gazed down at me. "I was apparently unconscious when you transformed, but judging from Granger's description, I'm certain that I know what you are," He said softly.

"And – and you're okay with that?" I asked disbelievingly.

"Well I wish you would've told me ages ago when we were kids. But, in my opinion, it's bloody brilliant and clearly useful in a fight. You're still the same Giavana to me," he stated firmly. I reached out and squeezed his hand, briefly eyeing the torn cloth that was still wrapped around my wrist.

"I'm not as familiar with magical beings," Harry said, "and so I had to have Hermione and Malfoy explain just why my friend began transforming into a wolf…but if you're a Lycan Gia, that's perfectly fine by me."

My eyes welled up as Hermione placed a supportive hand on my leg and nodded in agreement, her own eyes glistening. Ron jerked his head in a nod, but remained silent and wouldn't meet my eyes. I didn't blame him though – I probably wouldn't be too cheerful either if I'd gotten bitten by a Lycan.

"Yes, I am a Lycan," I said, blowing out a deep breath. I let the confession hang in the air, before I turned back to Dumbledore. "So what happened after I passed out? Why is she still out of it? Is she going to be okay?"

"As for Miss Moon," said Madam Pomfrey, finally speaking up, "She sustained some rather serious bruising to her ribs and there was a little swelling in her brain from a head wound. She's in a magical stasis to allow her body the chance to heal comfortably."

"She'll be just fine," said Elias firmly, crossing his tan, slightly muscled arms over his chest. Knowing what I did about them, I knew that Liz's body was probably well on its way to a full recovery, but still… it hurt to see her in such condition.

"Severus and I were patrolling, searching for the creature, as were the other professors and prefects, and we simply followed the screaming and spells being cast," Dumbledore began, almost cheerfully. "When we arrived, you and the creature were locked in a rather gruesome fight. You see, it was missing several large chunks of flesh by that point, and she disappeared moments later."

"I thought no one could portkey, apparate, or disapparate into or out of the castle," I said accusingly. Dumbledore's expression became grave and serious.

"That is what worries me, Miss Grey, but the other professors and I shall discuss renewing the protections around the school soon enough. Anyway, you, Miss Moon, and Mr. Malfoy were all seriously injured and unconscious. Harry here insisted on carrying you to the Hospital Wing himself," Dumbledore continued, graciously not commenting on the matching blushes on Harry's and my face.

"At this rate, you just might beat Mr. Potter's record of numerous trips to my ward in a single school year, Miss Grey," said Madam Pomfrey. "Your ankle was crushed beyond what healing spells could fix and I had to vanish all the shattered bones, and manually pick out the shards that had pierced your skin. You can't very well be my helper if you're always my patient."

I twisted my right ankle around, testing it and finding that it felt perfectly fine. "You must've given me Skele-Gro, but that takes hours to do the job. How long have I been out this time?" I asked.

"It's Tuesday afternoon, Gia," Hermione said slowly, gauging my reaction.

"What?" I shouted. "I was unconscious for two days? Oh Merlin, I missed Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures again! And I had History of Magic and Potions today. I'm –"

"Miss Grey, please regain some measure of decorum," said Snape harshly. My mouth snapped shut and I took slow breaths.

"My apologies," I muttered, "but I promise I'll make up any work I missed, sir."

"I'm sure I warned you to take it easy last time you were in here, Miss Grey," said Madam Pomfrey sternly, "I don't believe fighting a giant magical snake falls into that category. You had several broken ribs, one of which came dangerously close to piercing your heart. It must've been the grace and mercy of Merlin himself that it didn't, especially as you were still fighting that monster in such a condition…"

I was so close to death, and I didn't even know it…

"Nearly you're entire body was covered in nasty bruises, but they were mostly healed by the time we had taken care of your more serious injuries," she continued, clearly perplexed.

"Lycan have a naturally advanced healing property in our blood. Small injuries heal almost instantly – more serious ones take more time but can be healed eventually," I explained quietly, still pondering my brief waltz on Death's doorstep.

"Thank you, I'll be sure to add that to your file," she nodded.

I struggled to clear my thoughts, and looked directly at Ron, causing him to flinch. "When did I bite him?" I asked.

Suddenly, everyone fell silent and the atmosphere became tense and uncomfortable.

"You –" Hermione started, but her breath caught, and she started over. "You still had your wolf features when we came to visit you yesterday. You seemed to be trapped in some sort of nightmare, and you kept growling and thrashing around, snarling and clawing at anyone who came close to you. That's why they had to tie you down. Ron had gotten too close, and you snapped at him, biting his hand."

I didn't remember anything Hermione had just told me, but I knew she was telling the truth. "I'm truly sorry Ron," I said honestly, before freezing. "You don't feel any differently, do you?"

Ron frowned and shook his head, and I nodded, sighing in relief.

So I hadn't changed him over – good.

"And you're sure Liz is going to be okay?" I asked earnestly.

"She should be awake as early as tomorrow," Madam Pomfrey promised, backed up by twin nods from the boys.

"Somehow the Daily Prophet caught wind of the attack, they've been having a field day ever since," Draco informed me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"What are they saying?" I asked, dread bubbling in my gut.

"They're saying that the Headmaster's losing his grip on the safety around the school," Draco said bluntly, "the troll first year, the basilisk second year, Sirius Black breaking in last, and now this; they even ran the old articles about those incidents. They're saying the castle's protections aren't what they use to be."

Well, I can't say I disagree with them.

"That's terrible," I said instead, absently unraveling the cloth around my neck and wrists and tossing them along the bed for Nova to play with.

"Indeed, but it's nothing that I haven't dealt with before," Dumbledore said calmly. "I thought you might like to know that a recently recovered Mr. Diggory came to visit you multiple times, and Colin Creevey brought his younger brother Dennis to visit you this morning before breakfast."

"Really?" I said, touched beyond comprehension. "I'll have to remember to thank all of them but… Madam Pomfrey, can I leave?"

She gave me a serious look. "Miss Grey, I can't stress how important it is for you to take it easy. Stay in bed as often as possible, no heavy lifting or other strenuous activity. If you end up in here again soon, I'll have to keep you for anywhere from a few days to two weeks, to be sure that you're at full health."

"Understood," I said, looking down, I realized that I was dressed in a hospital gown, which might explain why I was so cold. "Err – what happened to my clothes?"

"I'm afraid they were torn and bloodied when we found you," Dumbledore said, "and I believe your claws shredded your shoes."

"Thank you, all of you," I said earnestly.

"Here Gia," said Draco, handing me a bundle of clothes. From the scent, I knew that they were my own. Draco and I shared a look, and I figured that Isavéla had allowed him to go up to my room and retrieve some things for me.

"Thanks Dray," I said, accepting the bundle, "but if you all don't mind, I'd like some privacy to change."

"Of course," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together, "Miss Grey, you and your friends may head down to dinner when you're done. However, I would like to warn you that nothing remains a secret at Hogwarts, I'm afraid."

"Meaning?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Somehow," Draco said, discreetly glancing at Ron, "the entire school knows that we fought the snake. They've been talking about it for the past two days. It's bloody annoying."

I stared at Draco, before realizing what he was implying. I felt a brief flare of annoyance, before I wondered what Draco had endured these past two days, knowing that his father must've found out by now, but figuring that we could talk about it later. "Thanks for the warning, now if you all don't mind…"

"We'll wait for you out in the corridor," Harry said.

Pulling the screens closed around my bed for privacy, I slowly climbed out of bed, clenching my teeth as my bare feet came in contact with the cold Hospital Wing floor. Nova rested in the warm spot on the bed I had just vacated, watching me closely as if waiting for me to keel over. Spreading out the bundle, I grinned at Draco's choice of clothes. He'd chosen black skinny jeans and dark green booties, along with a matching green tank top and a black leather jacket.

"Draco, I'm going to dinner, not out on a date," I muttered, transfiguring the boots into green trainers and the tank top into a t-shirt.

I donned the outfit and unraveled the tangled braid in my hair, finger combing it until it fell satisfactorily for the moment. Grabbing my wand off of the nightstand beside me, I strapped it to my right thigh and pushed back the screens, Nova jumping to the floor to stand beside me.

"The professors all left for the Great Hall already," said Ezra, looking up from where he'd been staring intently at his sister's sleeping face.

Both boys tensed slightly as I approached her bed, but I sensed them relax as I gently brushed back the strands of hair that had fallen over her bandage. "She saved my life…" I said quietly, "She saved all of us. I was in bad shape before my transformation kicked in. If not for her…"

"She barely speaks to anyone since she got here," Elias spoke up, his eyes hard, "And a week and a half into her fourth year, she's risking her life for you lot."

"I care about your sister!" I snapped angrily, bristling at the accusation in his tone. "I'd never knowingly put Elizabeth in harm's way. We – Harry, Draco, and I – went to find her and Ron and Hermione. Liz…" my voice broke off suddenly, "She's already like my best friend. She understands me…"

"We know," the boys said simultaneously, a little less hostile now.

"She told you?" my eyes snapped to theirs.

"She didn't have to," said Elias again. He raked his eyes up and down my body, before meeting my eyes – violet to gold. "For people like us, it's pretty obvious. We know she told you about us though."

"You're not angry with her, are you? I'd never betray her trust, or yours, by telling anyone," I said quickly, and firmly.

"We were angry at first," Ezra said honestly, placing a hand on his sister's immobile leg. "After all, we didn't get this far here by telling our greatest secrets to just anyone. But –" he said louder as I opened my mouth to retort, "You did nearly get yourself killed to protect her –"

"And you had the opportunity to blow up everything when everyone was in here…but you didn't," Elias added coolly. "They all saw her transform, but they've held their silence since Sunday."

"So I suppose you're okay in our books," Ezra finished.

"I will not," I repeated firmly, looking each of them in the eye, "reveal any of your secrets to anyone. None of us will. Trust me, I know how that feels and now everyone that was in here knows what I am."

"No one seemed too bent up about it," Ezra shrugged carelessly.

"They're my friends," I said, the words ringing true in my own body as I said them, "And I know that they'll accept you three as they've accepted me. If you guys ever need anything…"

I let the words trail off but they understood and simply nodded silently, eyes going back to their sister. "I'll come by to check on her sometime tonight, and again in the morning before breakfast. Hopefully she'll be awake by then. Have you two eaten dinner yet?"

"We haven't left her side since they brought her in," said Elias, though the violent rumble in his stomach betrayed him.

"Prim!" I called immediately.

"Mistress Gia!" Prim squealed the moment she popped into the ward, dropping into a curtsy. "What can Prim do for you?"

"Can you please bring up plenty of food from dinner for these two? Dessert, as well, please," I instructed, ignoring the two pairs of eyes I felt boring holes into the side of my face.

"It is being done," with that, she popped away.

"Nova," I said, and the cat snapped to attention, "Stay here and watch over Liz tonight, please."

"We don't need a guard kitty," Ezra drawled sarcastically, looking down at Nova's adorably whiskered face.

She leveled him with a glare and suddenly, she was in the form a giant black panther again. She growled deeply as the twin's eyes popped, and then quickly transformed back into a kitten.

"Anything else you wanted to add?" I drawled, raising an eyebrow.

When they said nothing, I made sure I hadn't forgotten anything, I started for the exit and nearly paused as I heard a simultaneous, "Thanks" muttered behind me.

As I left the Hospital Wing, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco waiting for me as promised.

"You've been ages!" Ron groaned, clutching his stomach as if he'd never eaten a day in his life.

"Oh ruin my fun, why don't you," Draco sighed, eyeing my outfit.

"It was a little extravagant for dinner in the Great Hall, Draco," I said drolly.

"You still look stunning," breathed Harry, his cheeks turning pink. Draco shot him a glare.

"Gia, you look beautiful in green, just as knew you would," he said, smirking.

I laughed and shook my head. "I knew you wanted me Slytherin colors," I said, playing wagging my finger at him. Just then, my stomach rumbled and I blushed. "Let's head down to the Great Hall, I'm starved."

The walk was a short, silent one, each of us lost in our own thoughts about the events of Sunday afternoon. As I thought back to earlier that day, I remembered that Harry, Draco, and I had never finished our conversation. The five of us stopped outside of the Great Hall, and looked at each other. Draco glared at Harry, before rolling his eyes and sighing dramatically. "I never got to finish saying this earlier but…" he paused, "I was wrong about you Potter, about you being a spoiled, attention-seeking, prat. You're still a scar-headed thorn in my side however, and if you tell anyone that I said anything even remotely nice to you, I'll make that snake look like a flobberworm in comparison."

Hermione and Ron's shock seemed to be beyond words or physical reaction, and I raised my eyebrows, watching as Harry shrugged and grinned. "And I was wrong about you as well, Malfoy. But you're still an arrogant, self-absorbed prat," he said calmly. The two boys stared at each other before Draco kissed my forehead, nodded in Hermione and Ron's general direction, and entered the Great Hall without another word.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked as I led our group of four into the Hall. Instantly, all movement stopped and it took only a second before the pointing and whispers began.

"I have no bloody idea…" Harry smiled as we sat down and dug into our evening meal. We deflected the many questions thrown our way, and when dinner was over, Dumbledore stood and asked that everyone let us have our peace and privacy, and not to badger us. As we all stood up and headed for the door, we saw Draco waiting in the corridor, flanked by Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott. I approached him, Harry, Hermione, and Ron following after me.

"Zabini, Nott," I said, nodding politely.

"Grey," the two drawled in unison, making no effort to hide their amusement.

"Are you coming, Draco?" I asked, deliberately being vague.

He looked at his two friends, both of whom sighed dramatically. "Go ahead Draco," said Theo, rolling his eyes, "I suppose we can't have you to ourselves all the time."

"I'll be back later on tonight," he promised, before walking off with the trio and me.

"They won't say anything, will they?" I asked as we headed up to East Tower.

"They'll cover for me," said Draco firmly.

Before crossing through the barrier, Ron stopped. "I…I'll pass tonight. I'm tired. See you later," he said, before hurrying off in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked, glancing at Hermione and Harry as we approached Isavéla's portrait.

"He's been acting odd ever since that battle Sunday," Harry said, frowning. "I've tried asking him about it, but he changes the subject every time."

Shrugging, I let the others in and we climbed the dark staircase, entering the common room. I plopped down onto one of the squishier couches and sprawled out tiredly, as Hermione, Harry, and Draco each picked their own chair to sit in. We remained silent for a few minutes before Hermione sat up straighter, and looked suspiciously at us.

"You two seem awfully…cordial lately," she said accusingly, "no fights or arguments in the corridors lately, and you're even sitting in the same room without trying to kill each other, even if you are both friends with Gia."

Harry and I glanced at each other, and then pointedly looked at Draco, who glared defiantly at us. "No, no, no," he said, folding his arms.

"Draco…"

"No!"

"Malfoy…"

"I said no, Potter!"

"Dray, please…"

"Fine," Draco groaned, resting his head in his hands, "go ahead and tell her. Let's just let the whole bloody world know my tragic story, why don't we?"

"We're just three people Draco, don't be so dramatic," I muttered.

"If you tell anyone," Draco said warningly, pointing his finger at Hermione, who was quite clearly terribly confused, "including that idiot Weasley, I will never give you a day of peace until the day you die, Granger, do you understand me?"

"Understood," she said fearlessly, before eyeing us expectantly.

It took about fifteen minutes to get her caught up on Draco's and Harry's similar backgrounds, Draco's predicament, and what had been discussed before the lockdown on Sunday. When we were done talking, Hermione looked as though she was torn between tears and rage. "That's – that's…" she spluttered angrily.

"I know," I said, sitting up, "and that's why we have to do something, for both of them."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Well Malfoy's situation is a bit more severe than mines," he shook his head firmly when Hermione and I opened our mouths, "no listen. Hermione, you know I stay here every year for Christmas, but Malfoy has to go back to his home, with his father. We have to do something before then. I have until the summer hols to figure something out; he doesn't have that kind of time."

"Harry does have a point," I sighed, "we'll have to make Draco a priority."

"You don't –"

"Malfoy be quiet," Hermione cut him off, staring at him with hard eyes, "we've already decided to help you anyway we can, just shut up and accept it."

Draco stared at her, taken aback by her vehemence and concern. "Fine," he bit out.

"As much as I don't like you Malfoy," Harry said suddenly, "I really want to help, but I don't know what I could possibly do. I'm still just a teenager, same as you."

Draco and I shared a loaded glance, and I bit my lip. "The thing is…we need Sirius," I admitted bluntly.

"What?" Harry and Hermione said in unison.

"What do you need Sirius for?" Harry asked defensively.

"Black is next in line to be Head of the Black family," Draco explained, "and if he takes up his position, he'll have the power to emancipate me and dissolve my parents' marriage. Once that's done, we're no longer stuck under my father's control."

"I don't understand…" Hermione said slowly.

"It's like this Hermione," I said, slipping into lecture mood, "in this world, all pureblood families have a long and rich history, but some families are much older than others. The Grey family goes back millennia. We've been here since the beginning, and so we have standing, power, and influence over most other pureblood families. We have centuries' old alliances with certain families, and long held grudges as well. All pureblood families are related in some way, no matter how distantly. In fact Harry," I paused, pulling up the information in my mind, "if my memory is correct, than your paternal grandparents were Charlus Potter and Dorea Black –"

"Black?" Harry and Draco shouted together.

"Yes, I did just say that all pureblood families are related, didn't I? Harry, your grandfather married Dorea Black. That means that your father and Sirius Black are first cousins once removed. Draco's mother is a Black, Sirius's cousin in fact, which means –"

"Harry and Malfoy are cousins, however distantly," Hermione finished.

Both Harry and Draco looked horrified at the thought of being related to their school enemy, and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh stop the dramatics," I said, "and allow me to get back to the point. Draco's mother is a Black first, and a Malfoy second, because she's married to Lucius Malfoy, making Draco half-Black, half-Malfoy. The Blacks are much, much older than the Malfoys, and therefore have more power. If Sirius were to take up his position as Head of the Black family, he could first dissolve Narcissa's and Lucius's marriage, and claim her and Draco as his wards, putting them under his protection and making them virtually untouchable by Lucius. If he felt generous enough, he could grant Narcissa complete freedom, and emancipate Draco, as well."

"I don't know…" Harry said, "Sirius seemed to really hate his family when he talked about them once. Do you think he'd really help?"

"My mother told me that she and Black were pretty close," said Draco quietly.

"How would he take control of the Black family anyway, if he's on the run from the Ministry?" Hermione asked.

"He'd have to go to Gringotts, which is a sort of haven for all people since the Ministry has absolutely no power or jurisdiction within its walls," I said, grinning darkly. "All Sirius has to do is get inside of Gringotts and state his intentions to the right goblin, and the rest is done. That's the easy part – the hard part is actually getting him to agree to it."

"I could write him…"

"No," I said immediately, "You can't put that kind of information in a letter, anyone could intercept it. It'd be more secure to ask him in person."

"But how are we going to accomplish that?" Hermione said, "If Sirius came anywhere near the school…"

"Then we'll just have to leave the grounds and go to him," I said firmly.

"But that's against school rules!"

"Oh come on Hermione, we've already done it," I said, snorting.

"We'll give it some time," Harry said finally, "and see what Sirius tries to do next. If he does come near here like he says he is then I'll see about meeting up with him somewhere."

"Dray, until then you just focus on keeping your House off of your back and not giving your father any reason to want to see you sooner than the winter hols," I said softly.

"Blaise and Theo have been helping cover for me, but I can't be seen talking or hanging out with those two," Draco said, jerking his thumb at Harry and Hermione. "My father would – well you know."

"Have you found out who's been writing to your father about you?" I asked.

Draco shook his head. "No, but if I had to pick anybody, it'd be Pansy…"

"But you two are contracted to be married after graduation, why would she do something like that?" I gasped.

"She's probably jealous that I'm spending so much time with you," Draco shrugged, "and figures that if she gets my father suspicious enough, he'll forbid me from associating with you, especially since you're friends with Potter."

"Did – did you say that he and Parkinson are contracted to be married?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, it's not uncommon for pureblood families to have marriage contracts made for their children. It's usually a political move – to either create a new alliance, or strengthen an old one." Draco explained briefly. "That's another reason why I'm so desperate for Black to emancipate me. If he can, then I can cancel our marriage contract, but it has to be done before my seventeenth birthday or else it's permanent."

"That's terrible," Hermione whispered.

"Well, those are our traditions, Granger," Draco said tiredly.

"No, I meant being forced to marry Parkinson."

Harry, Draco, and I paused before the four of us burst into laughter.

"Malfoy, thank you again, for saving my life twice in one day," Hermione said, sobering up a few minutes later.

"Don't mention it Granger," he said dismissively.

I grinned as Hermione's cheeks darkened the slightest bit. This really is too good. I wonder if I could…

"Hmm…" I said to myself.

"What?" Draco asked, giving me an odd glance.

"Oh nothing, nothing," I said innocently. Judging from Draco's expression, I wasn't fooling anyone. "It's getting late though, we should get to bed. Besides, I have a lot of work to make up."

As the four of us stood up, I stretched and yawned, leading the way out of East Tower. After bidding Harry and Hermione goodnight, and watching them pass through the barrier, I shadow-stepped Draco down to the dungeons and allowed him to kiss my forehead.

"You may have been right about Potter," he murmured, "and you've given me hope that my mother and I can be free of that bastard. Thank you Gia, I knew I made the right choice when I came to you."

"That's what friends are for Dray, goodnight," I said, kissing his cheek before I disappeared in a swirl of wispy shadows.

Creeping silently into the Hospital Wing, I breezed over to Liz's bedside and leaned down, gently brushing my lips over her forehead.

"I'll always be there for you, especially after this…" I whispered, feeling my eyes well up.

Quickly wiping my eyes, I looked over at the bed on the other side of Liz, where the twins had sprawled, sound asleep. Nova was perched in one of the chairs they had vacated, was also snoozing in her cat form. Checking Liz's vitals one last time, if only to reassure myself that she'd be okay, I left the ward and went back to my Tower.

Once I'd showered and climbed into bed, I simply lied there and stared up at the canopy above my head. While some things were starting to progress, I had new questions I needed answered.

Did that snake truly belong to Him? How she'd get into the school? And what does she know about what happened all those years ago?

"…_hatchling is still alive. Master won't be pleased…"_

Sighing, I pulled my comfortable more tightly around me and sank into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, I awoke reluctantly and went about my usual morning routine, feeling as though my entire body was weighed down. I shadow-stepped into the Hospital Wing to check on Liz, and after being reassured by her brothers, I returned to my room. I was incredibly exhausted and longed to do nothing more than climb back into bed and sleep the rest of the week away. As I emerged from my closet, adjusting my tie, I eyed my bed one more time before shaking my head firmly. "No Giavana, you have plenty of work to make up, no time to think about skipping class…"

Upon passing through the barrier, I found Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco waiting for me. Judging from the distance between Draco and Ron, and the scent of anger in the air, I could only assume that those two had gotten into it again.

_If Harry and even Hermione can learn to somewhat get along with Draco, then why can't Ron?_ I thought, rolling my eyes and deciding not to ask. As expected, Draco offered to carry my bag and we headed down for breakfast in semi-tense silence. After a few minutes, I glanced at Harry.

"Don't forget that you're coming with me after breakfast Harry, instead of going to Divination," I said tiredly.

"Huh? Oh, Self-Study today…I almost forgot…" he said distractedly.

Looking around, it seemed as though each of us had something on our minds and so we continued the walk down to the Great Hall in silence. We stopped and allowed Draco to enter a few minutes before us, before we followed and walked along the Gryffindor Table. I stopped behind Dennis and Colin and wrapped my arms around both of their shoulders, giving them quick hugs. "Thank you," I said honestly, "for visiting me in the Hospital Wing. That was awfully sweet of you." Straightening up, I squeezed their shoulders gently before sitting in my usual seat and folding my arms on the table, allowing my head to rest on them.

"…Gia…"

I felt someone gently nudge my shoulder, and I groaned and burrowed deeper into the crook of my arms.

"…Gia, come on…"

Nooo…

"…breakfast…over…last people here…"

Wait, what?

Groaning more loudly, I sat up and blearily rubbed my eyes, wondering when the Great Hall had gotten so quiet. Looking around, I saw that I was alone at the Gryffindor Table with Harry, who was staring at me, his forehead wrinkled with worry. I yawned and reached over my head, stretching.

"I'm sorry Harry, I'm just really tired," I apologized, as the two of us stood up. As I slung my bag over one shoulder, Harry walked beside me towards the exit.

"I understand," said Harry softly.

Deciding that it wasn't worth a walk all the way up to East Tower, I pulled Harry into the deserted entrance hall and wrapped my arms around him. He seemed taken aback by the sudden contact and I felt his pulse spike. "Calm down Harry," I whispered, "just relax and watch."

I did it slowly, so that Harry could mentally prepare himself, and gathered the shadows around us. However, to Harry, it just looked like black wisps collecting and circling around us. He gasped as they thickened and the entrance hall outside of them disappeared. His eyes were wide as we stood in pitch darkness for a few seconds before light appeared and grew until my bedroom in Eturn Alley became visible. When the shadows disappeared and I let go of Harry, he sucked in a deep breath and stared at me as though I'd grown a second head.

"Wha –"

"Let's just say I have superpowers," I said sarcastically, heading off Harry's question. "Come on, we have training to do." As I pulled Harry out into the hallway, he finally gathered his voice.

"But I thought no one could portkey or disapparate out of the castle!" he protested.

"I didn't use a portkey and apparation is completely different, and rather unpleasant," I countered. "My particular power is extremely rare or perhaps unheard of, I'm not entirely sure, but because of that, there is no known way to ward against it."

"Ward?" Harry asked slowly.

I paused outside of the training room and stared at Harry. "You don't know what wards are?" I asked, to be sure.

"No, I don't," he answered, his chin coming up defensively.

"I'll explain later, come on in," I sighed, pushing open the unmarked door and pulling out my wand. I cast a spell to unroll the mats on the floor and gestured for Harry to sit down on them as I walked over to a hanging cupboard on the back wall and opened it, scanning through the dozens of little vials within. Upon finding the right one, a light blue potion inside, I closed the cupboard and sat down in front of Harry.

"Here," I said, handing him the vial, "this is the first of many potions you'll have to drink to help your body get up to where it should be."

Harry stared at the potion for a second, before sighing. "If you say this will help Gia…then I trust you." And with that, he uncorked the vial and downed the potion in one gulp, gagging at the taste. "Ugh, that's absolutely horrid!"

"Most potions have a disgusting taste," I said calmly, taking the vial from him and setting it aside.

"I always suspected that Madam Pomfrey did it on purpose," Harry grumbled.

"She does, as do most Healers and mediwizards. If potions tasted good, it'd be easier for someone to develop a dependency or addiction to them, since they'd like the taste," I explained briefly.

"People can become addicted to potions…like drugs?" Harry asked.

"Of course, I'm sure you've heard of muggles becoming dependent on pills and other muggle medications; the same can happen with potions," I said, before shaking my head. "But we're not here for that. Get up."

After I took Harry through basic stretches and exercises that didn't require equipment, including push-ups, crunches, etc., I shadow-stepped us to a muggle park and made him jog four laps around the track, making it a mile. By the time we were done, Harry was covered in sweat and gasping for breath, and so I took pity on him and allowed him to sit on a nearby bench and take a break. I handed him a cold water bottle and watched him drink it as though he were a man that had been stranded in a desert for days. When he'd finally regained the ability to speak, he looked desperately at me.

"Gia, I don't think I can do this every day," he said, shaking his head.

"I never took you for a quitter, Harry," I said calmly, drinking from my own water bottle. I had barely broken a sweat. "Besides, you only ran one mile and you haven't even started lifting weights yet."

"Lifting weights?" he said incredulously.

"You desperately need to build some muscle," I answered bluntly. "No offense Harry, but I'm sure even you don't like being as thin as you are. Well, there's no potion that's going to give you muscles or the perfect body. No, that requires hard work and dedication, but if you're not up to the task…"

"Do you think I can do it, Gia?" Harry asked quietly.

"It's not about what I think you can do, Harry, it's about what you believe you can do. You have to be your own motivator. Do this for yourself, not for me or anyone else. However, I do have faith in you, and I think that if you truly put your mind to it, then you could make a huge difference in your life," I said, giving him a sideways glance.

Harry remained silent for a few minutes, and I let him have that time to himself, and simply enjoyed the fall breeze that drifted around us.

With a sigh, Harry stood up. "Come on Gia, we have a run to finish."

About forty minutes later, I appeared in my bedroom in East Tower after dropping Harry off in his dorm in the Gryffindor Tower. I peeled off my sweaty clothes and stepped into the hot shower, sighing happily as the water cascaded onto my skin. As I stood underneath the hot spray, I allowed myself to ponder Harry's first training day.

After completing four more laps around the track, I had shadow-stepped us back to my house and pulled out the equipment after I'd let Harry take another break. I had started Harry off fairly easily with the weights, and I briefly wondered how he'd feel if he knew I could lift a few hundred pounds more than he could. But all in all, it had given me a chance to assess Harry's physical strengths and weaknesses, and as I showered, I mapped out a plan in my mind, keeping in mind that we had a much bigger challenge ahead of us in tackling Harry's new powers. After drying off and dressing in my uniform, I met Harry outside the barrier and we headed down to Charms, where we found Hermione and Ron waiting for us.

"How was your first day of training?" Hermione asked as we walked up.

"Tiring," Harry said bluntly, his hair still slightly wet and curled from his shower.

"Productive," I added brightly, grinning up at Harry. "And we have a double free period after lunch, so we can continue." I laughed as Harry groaned. "Don't worry Harry; it's not more physical training."

Charms passed in a blur, and after taking the appropriate notes and demonstrating the spell that Professor Flitwick was lecturing us on, I used the rest of the class period to catch up on my Potions homework. During lunch, I scarfed down several huge roast beef sandwiches, seeing as I had missed breakfast, and deflected Harry's constant questioning on what we would be doing during our free period. When the bell finally rang and Harry and I separated from Hermione and Ron, I stopped him in a deserted corridor.

"Do you know anywhere private in the castle where we can train?" I asked Harry. "Somewhere with plenty of place, somewhere secure, where we can make a lot of noise without anyone coming to investigate…"

"There's one place that fits that description, but I don't think…"

"Excellent, show me," I said brightly.

Harry eyed me uneasily before he gave a deep sigh. "Follow me," he breathed.

Five minutes later, I gave Harry a hard look. "The corridor where we fought the snake?" I asked suspiciously, looking around at the newly repaired hall. There were hardly any signs of a fight, at all, except for the faint lingering scent of blood and dark magic in the air.

"No," he said, gesturing to the girls' bathroom, "there."

Before I could ask, Harry pushed open the door and I had no choice but to follow after him. Upon entering the bathroom, I couldn't help but mutter, "This has to be the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom I've ever been in."

The bathroom's wooden cubicles were all worn and ill-maintained, with two of the doors just barely hanging onto their hinges. The room was dim and poorly lit by candles which were in holders that adorned the walls in evenly spaced spots. And even the stone sinks, which formed a row underneath a large cracked and spotted mirror, were chipped. Looking around the bathroom, I didn't see or feel anything special about it. I raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"If this is some sort of joke…"

"Shh," Harry whispered, "just watch."

I fell silent as Harry slowly approached the row of sinks and stopped in front of one of them, before running his fingers lightly over the tap there. I was confused, but watched Harry's face as he seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, his eyes briefly losing focus. He took a deep breath and when he spoke, I shivered as, once again, soft hissing fell from his lips instead of actual words. The hiss was short and we waited in silence for several seconds before the tap that Harry had touched began to glow a bright white light and started to spin. The next second, the sink began to move and to my shock, sank right out of sight, revealing a large pipe, easily wide enough for a large man to slide into.

"What the hell…" I gasped, staring into the darkness and recoiling as a musty smell reached my nose.

"This is the hidden entrance to," Harry paused dramatically, "the infamous Chamber of Secrets."

"This is how that bloody basilisk was getting around the castle?" I asked, amazed. "Wait… are we actually going down in the actual Chamber of Secrets?" I was unashamed at the bubbling excitement in my voice.

"You seem way too excited about this…" Harry muttered, "But yes, if you would like to look around, we can go down there. I have to warn you though, it's absolutely filthy."

"Nothing cleaning charms and a hot shower can't fix later, let's go!" I said, before grabbing onto the edge of the pipe and swinging right in, Harry's voice calling my name fading as I slid away. It was rather like rushing down a waterslide, except it was a seemingly endless, slimy, dark waterslide. I could see more pipes branching off in all directions, though none as large as the one I was in, and I had to wonder how elaborate of a labyrinth this place was. The pipe twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and as the air became damper and denser, and I knew that I must've been well underneath the school, deeper than even the dungeons. Behind me, I could hear Harry sliding down as well, cursing as his limbs banged against the curves.

"This was much easier in second year!" He growled.

And finally, when I began to wonder how long this slide would go on for, the pipe leveled out and I shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on a damp stone floor and rolling up to my feet. As I waited for Harry to fall out of the pipe, I looked around at the dark stone tunnel that I had arrived in; it was certainly large enough to stand in. A few seconds later, Harry came whizzing out of the pipe, covered completely in slime and muck, and looking down at my uniform, I saw that I was in the same state.

"We have to be yards and yards under the school, under the lake at least," I said, my voice echoing in the dark tunnel as I looked around at the dark, slimy walls. First, I created several balls of wizard's light and pushed them up toward the ceiling to better light the tunnel, casting deeper shadows in the crooks and corners. Surrounded by all of the darkness, I felt an odd sort of comfort down there.

"How'd you do that without your wand?" Harry asked, clearly impressed.

"It's the first bit of controlled magic that most magical children who live in the wizarding world learn from their parents," I explained, even as I pulled my wand from its holster. "Lumos!" I cast, the tip immediately lighting up brilliantly.

Harry lit his own wand and gestured down the tunnel, "Come on," he said.

We walked side-by-side, our footsteps echoing loudly on the wet floor until I felt and heard crunching underneath my feet. Lowering my want to see, I saw that the floor was littered with hundreds of small animal bones. "Gross," I muttered, before we continued on. Further down the tunnel, I stopped as I saw a huge pile of giant rocks and chunks of stone. "Did this tunnel cave in or something?" I asked.

"Lockhart…" Harry said by way of explanation.

"When he tried to attack you and Ron?" I clarified, nodding as Harry did.

It took a few minutes to levitate a few of the bigger rocks out of the way in order to make a larger hole that we could both fit through. Once we'd squeezed through the opening, I froze upon seeing a huge dark shape before us. Reaching out with my hearing, I could only hear Harry heartbeat as well my own.

"It's just a snake skin from the basilisk," Harry explained, gently tugging me closer.

The wandlight washed over the giant snake skin and I saw that it was a vivid, poisonous green color, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The basilisk that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at the time.

"Do you know how rare and valuable basilisk skin is? Especially intact like this one is?" I asked, my voice raising a few octave. "Not only could this skin easily fetch tens of thousands of galleons, but if the actual corpse is still in the main chamber, you have in your possession hundreds of thousands of galleons worth of potions ingredients and other material. Every single part of a basilisk can be harvested and used for something!"

Seemingly overwhelmed by this information, Harry shook his head frantically. "But – but it's Slytherin's snake, not mine!" he protested.

"No Harry," I said, grinning largely, "you killed it and therefore it is yours, by right of conquest."

"I don't want it," he said firmly, "I already have enough money in my Trust Vault. I don't need any more."

To say I was amazed was a severe understatement. The opportunity to have such riches and resources would tempt any person: wizard, muggle, or otherwise. But Harry was serious, that much I could tell. "I'm sure you have loads of galleons in all of your vaults Harry, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime."

He shook his head. "I only have a trust vault," he said straight-faced.

I stared at him, my grin returning. "You're joking, right?" I asked.

"Joking about what?" he said, eyeing me warily.

"About having one vault…that's impossible," I said firmly, looking Harry directly in the eye so that he'd know I was dead serious.

"All pureblood children have a trust vault set up when they're first born. The Potters are an old bloodline, ancient even, so I know there's at least the main Potter vault. I'm certain your father would've had his own trust vault to get him through school. Even though your mum was muggleborn, her parents probably set her up with her own vault at Gringotts, too. Hermione was explaining it to me the other day – said her parents set up an account for her because it was cheaper than getting muggle money converted to wizarding money every time they went to Diagon Alley."

"I've never seen or heard of any other vault besides my trust vault," he countered. "When Hagrid took me shopping in Diagon Alley for the first time, he said Dumbledore gave him my trust vault key so that I could buy school supplies. That's it."

"Is that why you never where your Potter signet ring?" I asked.

"My – what?" Harry asked.

I held out my hand and his eyes traced over every detail of my two-faced signet ring.

"Pureblood children only where Heir or Heiress rings until their parents pass away or are too old or unable to continue leading the family, and then, when that happens, they obtain the Lord or Lady signet ring. It's mostly used to show your status, seal official letters and other correspondence, and to cast your vote in the Wizengamot. Being the last of the Potter line, you should've been informed of your position and trained to become Lord Potter as early as age 10. You should've had advisors and a regent who would cast your vote and handle family business on your behalf, after consulting with you first, of course, until you were ready to do it yourself. I chose not to have advisors or regents because I already knew what I needed to know and I didn't trust anyone to take care of my family other than myself."

"I didn't know any of that…how would I have known if I was raised in the muggle world?" Harry asked.

"Well, because you're an orphan, it's the job of your magical guardian to tell you that kind of stuff…who is your magical guardian anyway?" I asked, honestly curious.

Whoever his magical guardian was had a lot of explaining to do and could easily face years in prison. But if Dumbledore had his trust vault key…

"I didn't even know I had one until you just told me, Gia. I'm so confused…"

Theories and suspicions began to form in my mind, but outwardly, I shrugged and tried to give Harry a reassuring smile. "We'll talk about it later Harry, let's see this infamous chamber."

Caught off guard by my sudden change in attitude, Harry nodded and led the way on, the tunnel turning and turning again. I was ready for the tunnel to end, as I was now rather excited about what I would find on such a historic exploration. I doubted that Salazar Slytherin would create a chamber with only one room, so who knows what we could find in this place? And then, at last, we walked around another bend and saw a solid wall ahead on which two large, entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

_Those emeralds alone would fetch hundreds of galleons with the right dealer_… I couldn't help but think.

My own family vaults contained many valuable jewels such as those emeralds. My father had been a collector of sorts, sometimes taking souvenirs while he was out doing a…job. I had been too fearful of attracting my father's attention by attempting to enter the Wilde vault at Gringotts London – the original vault was located at the Spain branch – but there were quite a few things in there that I wanted – things that were owed to me.

The snake eyes had a strange, lifelike quality to them and I had to assume that they contained some sort of magic within them. Harry cleared his throat and I prepared myself this time, managing not to shiver as Harry hissed at the two snakes. I wondered if I would ever get use to that sound, even as the serpents parted and the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight.

As we walked inside, I found that we were standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. Excitement mounting, I created and sent up at least two dozen balls of wizard's light, each individual ball requiring only a small amount of magic to make. As their soft white light washed over the place, illuminating dark corners, the true extent of the chamber became apparent, but what caught my immediate attention however, was the absolutely enormous snake corpse right in front of us. As I stared at it, a million questions and thoughts raced through my mind in the span of seconds.

"That thing has to be at least fifty feet long," I gasped, trying to steady my racing heart, "that skin back there must've been when it was younger."

"I'm surprised it hasn't rotted yet," Harry commented nonchalantly, staring absently at the beast.

"Magical creatures don't begin to decompose until their innate magic has completely dissipated. But given the age and size of this basilisk, that won't be for at least another few hundred years," I breathed, still lost in my amazement. "Harry, if you sold this thing, you, your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on would never have to work another day in your lives, no matter how frivolous a lifestyle you all lived."

"I told you, I have no use for riches," Harry said firmly.

"If you don't want it for yourself, then use the money for something worthwhile," I said impatiently, "donate it to a charity or St. Mungo's hospital, buy a bloody quidditch team, anything…just don't let it waste away here with no purpose."

"I suppose I never thought about it that way…" Harry said slowly. "I'll think about it."

Knowing that that was the best answer I'd get from him at the moment, I shrugged and crept around the creature. As I drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue as high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. I had to lean back slightly to look into the giant face above, and I noted that it was ancient and had slightly monkey-ish features, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous grey feet ended at the bottom of a deep, murky pool.

"Slytherin sure was full of himself, I see…" I muttered, "A bloody waste of stone if you ask me."

"What do you think? Is this place big enough to train in? If we move the snake that is…" Harry said, walking up behind me.

"Of course, this main chamber is more than large enough but…do you honestly think that Slytherin would've built a chamber just to house a snake and a giant statue of himself? Unless he's the most narcissistic person ever and enjoyed admiring the statue every day, then that doesn't add up to me," I said persuasively.

"What? You think there's more to the Chamber than this?" Harry asked, looking around at the smooth walls that had previously been covered by shadows before I'd brightened the Chamber with my wizard's light.

"Who knows? But there's only one way to find out…" I trailed off, looking expectantly at Harry.

"You don't know what we could find in here, Gia. It could be booby trapped," He protested.

"While I'm proud that you're thinking this through, I must admit that I'm surprised that the great Harry Potter is shying away from adventure," I teased.

Harry puffed up dramatically. "Me? Shy away from adventure? No way. How do you want to do this, Gia?"

Too easy…

"Well, I suppose we'll do this the same way we entered the Chamber in the first place. Parseltongue is one of the rarest abilities in the world and Slytherin must've known that. If he wanted to conceal his greatest secrets, he'd have to have done it in the one magical language that probably he alone could speak at the time," I said, thinking out loud.

"So I'm supposed to just walk around the Chamber, asking for rooms?" asked Harry sarcastically.

Rolling my eyes, I shrugged. "Why not? Ask for something specific."

I felt anticipation soar as I followed Harry over to a blank stretch of wall and he took a deep breath. As a string of soft hisses escaped his mouth, I waited with baited breath and only just stopped my jaw from dropping as a black door appeared in front of us. There were odd, squiggly symbols on the door and I frowned, seeing that they weren't any language I had ever seen before.

"I guess we found the library," said Harry, smiling brightly.

"How do you know that's the library?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "It clearly says '_Library'_ on the door, Gia."

"You can read that? It looks like little squiggles to me!" I said, before understanding dawned. "It must be written Parseltongue! Which explains why you can read it and I can't! I didn't even know Parseltongue could be written, but I suppose it makes sense, since I heard that it could be used for spells…"

"There are Parseltongue spells?" Harry said quickly.

"It's only a rumor, no one really knows. But if there's anywhere that we'd find that sort of information, it would be Salazar Slytherin's personal library," I said excitedly.

Reaching out, I grasped the silver doorknob and pushed the door open. It seemed Slytherin was confident in his ability to hide the room with Parselmagic because the door itself was unlocked. The room was moderately sized, with tall bookshelves covering three of the four walls, with a couch and small wooden table in the center of the room, facing a small fireplace. Although everything was covered in thick layers of dust and who knows what else, the bookshelves were obviously filled with priceless tomes and journals that hadn't been touched or even seen in centuries.

"We'll need house-elves," I breathed reverently, "there's no way we can clean this without damaging books this old. Ask for other rooms."

By the time twenty minutes had passed, we'd found a rather grand study, a potions lab, a large bedroom, a slightly smaller bedroom, a storage room, and a weaponry room. I was practically vibrating with excited, and I just knew that Draco would die and go to heaven if he knew about this place and all that it contained. After having Harry ask for random rooms, just to see if they'd appear, we also found a sort of dungeon with cells that actually had skeletons in them, as well as several secret entrances that led somewhere into the castle. There was also a small kitchen and an attached dining area, and of course, everything was covered in thick layers of dust.

"Judging from the layers of dust here," I said as we finally returned to the main chamber, "I'd say that there's no way that Voldemort found these other rooms when he was a student, which can only be a good thing. Who knows what would've happened if he'd had Salazar Slytherin's personal tomes at his disposal."

"Yes, you're right but we should be getting back," Harry said, checking his watch. "We have about twenty minutes before dinner starts."

"I'll have my house-elf round up some trustworthy school elves to help clean this place, and we can return when we have time." I was about to shadow-step us up to the seventh floor, before an idea hit me. "Why don't we go up one of those secret passageways we found? That way we can find out where they lead to."

We walked through the first one we'd found, vanishing dust and cobwebs as we came across them, and discovered that it ended in a dark corner of the entrance hall. When we'd stepped out of it, the stone slid back into place and showed no trace of an opening. I shadow-stepped Harry up to the seventh floor and we went our separate ways. I hurried up to my bathroom, stripped out of my slimy, soiled uniform and stepped into the hot shower for the third time that day.

When I'd scrubbed my skin raw and shampooed my hair several times, I finally wrapped myself in a towel and headed for my closet, dumping the dirty clothes in the hamper on the way out. I was extremely exhausted and decided on a simple pair of black sweatpants and a white t-shirt, along with white trainers to go down to dinner in, letting my hair fall down my back. The only thing I took with me was my wand and I lazily drifted down to dinner; I realized that I must've been in the shower longer than I thought, because as I entered the Great Hall, I saw that dinner was well under way. Thankfully, it seemed that the rest of the students had finally gotten used to having me around because I was only subjected to a few glances rather than an en mass staring session. Sitting down at the Gryffindor Table between Harry and Neville, I piled shepherd's pie, roast chicken, and lamb chops on my plate, along with other non-meat foods before digging in with eagerness.

"Are you lot ready for Moody's class tomorrow?" asked Harry suddenly.

We fell silent as we thought back to last week's lesson and I could tell that each of us wondered what was in store for us the next day. Dinner passed with each of us contributing our own theories as to our next defense lesson. As dinner ended, I told the others that I would pass on hanging out in the Gryffindor common room for a little while and headed straight for East Tower. The second I climbed into bed and laid my head down on my pillow, I was fast asleep.


	10. Visitors

**Chapter 10**

Although I had begun to slowly adjust to life at Hogwarts, my days there could never be considered boring – not by a long shot. Once Liz had fully recovered and rejoined us in lessons, things felt a bit more normal but not by much. Lucius Malfoy had been absolutely furious upon finding out that Draco had been injured helping fight against the snake alongside Gryffindors, Harry Potter especially. According to Draco, his father hadn't let any additional information about the snake slip – like whether or not it belonged to Voldemort. He'd had to work his ass off to convince Lord Malfoy that he'd only fought with us to gain our trust, in order to continue 'spying' on Harry, but we all feared what his father would do once he went home over the winter break.

Our lessons were becoming increasingly more difficult and demanding, something I reveled in after I'd caught up in Potions, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures, despite the fact that Professors Sprout and Hagrid had agreed to let my absences slide. Moody's Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were particularly difficult, but if nothing else, I loved a challenge.

The fact that I had quickly surpassed Hermione and Harry as top Defense student in both theory and practical respectively did nothing to cause a rift in our friendship, however, Ronald seemed to become grumpier and moodier with each lesson. Though we shouldn't have been surprised, we were understandably speechless when Professor Moody announced that he would be putting the Imperius Curse on each of us in turn, to demonstrate its power and see whether we could resist its effects.

"But—but you said that it's illegal Professor," Hermione said uncertainly that day as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "To use it against another human is not only immoral, it's—"

"Miss Granger," said Moody softly, something that struck fear in the hearts of many of our classmates, his magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, unblinking stare, "Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like. However, if you'd rather learn the way – when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely, when they can take advantage of a young female like yourself –fine by me, you're excused. Off you go." He pointed one gnarled finger toward the door.

Although I would've chosen a different choice of words, Moody was right. It was best to experience this and learn to fight this curse off in a classroom – a controlled environment where nothing serious could happen to us. I stood in front of Hermione's pale face, blocking out Moody, and stared her directly in the eye as I gently grabbed her arms. "You're much stronger than you think Hermione, I know you are. And if anyone's got a strong mindset and strength of character, it's you. I know you can do this."

"What she said," said Liz firmly, absently twirling her wand between her fingers.

She'd been a little on edge since the snake attack, and it wasn't uncommon to find Ezra and Elias trailing behind us in the corridors, as if keeping watch over her. They'd taken to sitting with us at meals sometimes, and though they'd slowly warmed up to the trio and I, I had a feeling that the change had been more for them to stay close to Elizabeth.

Slowly, as the color returned to her face, I saw a familiar glimpse of determination in her cinnamon eyes and we wore matching grins. After nodding seriously, Hermione looked directly at Moody, who was watching us intently. "No thanks Professor, I'd rather stay," said Hermione calmly.

Harry and I grinned at each other.

_That's my girl_, his expression seemed to say as he looked at her, standing fearlessly in front of Moody.

As class officially began, Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them. We watched as, one by one, our classmates did the oddest things under its influence. Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Neville even performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics that he certainly would not have been able to do of his own volition. Not one of them seemed to be able to completely fight off the curse, not even Ron, who was forced to get on all fours like a dog, and chase his own imaginary tale. When Moody had cancelled the spell, Ron's foul mood only worsened and he remained at the back of class, glaring at Moody, his face still red from embarrassment.

"Moon, you're up."

Liz stepped forward without comment, slipping her wand into the waistband of her skirt. Her dark violet eyes followed every movement Moody made, but her stance was relaxed as he raised his wand. As he cast the Unforgivable, her eyes gained that customary gloss but hardly ten seconds passed and I saw her eyes clear.

"Is that it?" she asked curiously.

We were all floored.

"There's no way!" Seamus demanded, still sore from the rather humiliating dance moves he'd been forced to perform for the class.

Liz leveled him with a cool gaze that snapped his mouth shut. After staring him down a long minute, she casually turned her head to Moody. "I don't mind going again."

"Very well, one more time for the naysayers," said Moody, clearly getting some dark sort of amusement from this turn of events.

Even I, who knew more about Liz than probably any other student at Hogwarts, was still incredibly impressed. I had refrained from asking too many deep questions about Liz's powers and abilities, still unwilling to reveal certain things about myself, but if she was able to throw off the curse so easily then her mental barriers had to be much stronger than my own.

"Imperio!" he cast again.

And again, within seconds, Liz had shrugged off the Imperius Curse like it was a minor annoyance. Seamus certainly had nothing to say after that.

"I told them you were badass," I whispered as Liz fell back in line with the rest of us, and clapped her shoulder supportively. She seemed unbothered by the awed and bewildered expressions she received from the rest of the class.

"Fifteen points to Gryffindor, Moon. Excellent, excellent work. Potter," Moody growled, "you next."

Harry moved forward into the middle of the classroom where there was empty space, and I admit that I was more interested in Harry's results than anyone else's. Harry took a deep breath and braced himself as Moody raised his wand, pointed it at Harry, and said, "Imperio!"

We all watched with baited breath as Harry's face fell calm and peaceful, in fact, his eyes looked almost dreamy, as if he had no worries, but we all knew that it was an effect of the spell. He started to bend his knees but hesitated. I watched his eyes flicker briefly, before he did a sort of half-jump and smashed headlong into the desk, knocking it over. Perhaps the blow cancelled the spell or Moody did, but I hurried forward and pulled Harry up to his feet, checking to make sure his head wasn't injured. He had a slight bump that I easily healed, and he murmured thanks as he shot a glare at Moody, who seemed absolutely delighted at another success.

"Look at that, you lot – Potter fought! He fought it and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention—watch his eyes, that's where you see it—very good Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling you!" He forced Harry under the spell several more times before Harry could throw it off within seconds like Liz, and once he'd accomplished that, he walked back to Hermione and me, smiling broadly.

"Don't let that go to your head, Potter," I teased.

"Miss Grey," Moody said silkily, and I stiffened, "front and center."

Standing as tall as I could with my petite frame, I walked into the clear space and cleared my mind, blocking out the stares of my classmates. I locked eyes with Hermione's encouraging ones and focused on them, even as Moody muttered, "Imperio!"

I felt a sudden peace come over me and my body relaxed. For some reason, I knew that this peace was wrong…that I shouldn't be feeling it…but I didn't care. With all of the stress that I'd been facing recently, I didn't want to step out of this worriless state of mind.

**Go punch Potter**…A voice reverberated inside my head.

_But why? Harry hasn't done anything to me…_

**Don't question it…just do it…Go punch Potter…**The voice said persuasively.

_But I don't want to…no, I won't…_

**Go PUNCH Potter**…The voice said more forcefully.

I felt irritation flare briefly. If there was one thing I hated – it was being told what to do.

_No_. I thought firmly.

**GO PUNCH POTTER!** The voice roared.

"NO!" I shouted aloud, the odd peacefulness breaking. As I gasped for breath, I realized that I was on my hands and knees, my hair curtaining my face, and the entire class was silent, staring at me.

"Excellent work Miss Grey, as expected. Your turn is finished. Granger, you're up," Moody said quietly.

I waved off Harry's offered hand and climbed to my feet on my own, feeling a wave of nausea pass over me. I withheld the heave that rose within me and took another deep breath, reassuringly grasping Hermione's shoulder as we passed each other. "It's easier than you think," I said, giving her a strained smile, "just say no."

With a firm nod, Hermione stood in the center of the classroom, being the last student to have a go. She stared right at me as Moody immediately placed the spell on her and I watched her face clear. There was a tense moment of silence before Hermione slowly began reaching for her wand. Her movements were jerky, and I could tell that she was doing her damnedest to fight the spell. She finally grasped her wand, her eyes still dreamy, and the class gasped as a whole as she pointed it directly at me. Before I could speak, she hit me in the leg with a rather strong stinging hex.

"Shit!" I cursed as I dropped to one knee, clutching my red leg. Harry knelt down beside me and helped me back up to my feet; I grimaced but quietly healed the bruise that had instantly bloomed on my thigh.

"Oh Gia, I'm so sorry!" Hermione gasped as she came to.

"It's perfectly alright Hermione," I said, taking a deep breath, "I know you didn't mean it. It's okay."

Hermione nodded uncertainly before her eyes hardened and she turned a cold glare on Moody, who stared unblinkingly at her. "I want to try again," she said firmly.

"Very well," Moody said. "Imperio!"

This time, as Hermione raised her wand again, it took longer and her movements were even more erratic. However, after two minutes, I had to duck under another stinging hex and I shot Moody a venomous look. He shrugged.

"It's good motivation, Grey, don't be a spoilsport," He reprimanded patronizingly.

"Again," Hermione demanded.

"Ah, we've got us a feisty one today," Moody laughed darkly.

He obligingly put the curse back over Hermione for the third time and I braced myself, ready to dodge another hex. As the minutes ticked by, Hermione's face became less peaceful and more concentrated. Her brows furrowed but she was still struggling against the force pulling her wand arm up. After five minutes passed, I gasped as her nose abruptly began bleeding.

"Professor, stop!" I said quickly, taking a step forward. Harry grabbed my arm.

"Let her do this," he said softly, never taking his eyes off of his friend.

As the blood ran down over her lips and another minute ticked by, she muttered something that no one could make out. Her entire body tensed before her eyes cleared and she shouted, "I said NO!"

The class was deathly silent before we all – minus Ronald – burst into loud applause for Hermione, just as the bell rang. Red faced but clearly pleased with herself, Hermione hurried over to us and I conjured a napkin.

"Thank you," she said as she wiped her face.

"That was a bang-up job Mione," said Harry encouragingly.

"Totally badass," Liz assured her, playfully punching her arm.

"Yes, you did really great Hermione, I'm proud of you," I said, throwing my arm around her shoulder in a one-armed hug.

"Wasn't she amazing Ron?" Harry said, turning to face his silent friend.

"She was alright, I suppose…for a –"

"For a what, Ronald?" snapped Hermione, standing in front of Ron, stopping him from continuing to walk. "Alright for a girl – or perhaps for a muggleborn?" Ron's silence only seemed to anger Hermione more and she took a step forward and jabbed her finger into his chest. "If you were going to say 'for a girl', that's a laugh, considering that Liz, Gia, and I did a lot better than you did! But if you were going to say 'for a muggleborn', I'd say that you're no better than the old Malfoy and for you to get over yourself!"

The four of us were left speechless as Hermione stormed off, and I glared at Ron.

"Good job, Ron," Liz snorted, rolling her eyes and heading in the direction Hermione had run.

"You seriously need an attitude adjustment, Ronald!" I growled before running off after the girls.

When I caught up to them, Hermione was almost in tears and was shaking with fury. Liz seemed at a loss on what to do, and so I approached her warily, unsure of how Hermione acted once angered. But when she didn't lash out, I pulled the girl into a tight hug and felt her wrap her arms around my waist as her body finally trembled with suppressed sobs.

"Shh Hermione, it's okay. Ronald's an insensitive prat, I'm sure you knew that already." I murmured, awkwardly patting her head. I shot Liz a helpless look over Hermione's shoulder but she held her hands up, leaving it all to me.

"It's j-just that – a stupid part of me t-thought that R-Ronald would actually be a bit more mature this year. We're not first years anymore," she cried into my shoulder, and I couldn't help but realize that I had held at least four crying people since I'd come to Hogwarts.

"Hermione, not one bit of you is stupid, so don't ever put yourself down like that, especially not over a boy who doesn't deserve to receive your attention –" I paused as I suddenly understood what Hermione was saying.

"Oh," I said awkwardly, "so you…had feelings for Ronald? Is that it?"

"I know," she said, pulling back and wiping her red face with the back of her hand, "ridiculous right?"

"Not at all," Liz said finally, placing a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder, "You've been friends for years, it's not at all ridiculous for you to have developed feelings. You've all been through life and death together – that's a bond that most can never feel."

My eyes welled slightly as I looked at Liz, and I knew that she was thinking back to the snake incident again.

"I know – it's just… Ronald and I do nothing more than argue over completely pointless things, he never supports anything I do, and he's been putting me down since first year. But – but I thought that he'd mature if I gave him time…"

I truly did not understand.

Ron was a good friend – kind enough, funny as ever, a simple sort – but he was also incredibly rude, abrasive, and he had the table manners of a five-year old. He and Hermione couldn't have been more different, and if I was quietly being honest with myself, I felt Hermione could do so much better – someone with her level of intelligence, at least.

"Hermione…err – sometimes boys like Ron never change, and they become little boys in grown men bodies in the future. But you Hermione, you're beautiful," I said honestly, forcing her to look at me as she snorted. "Hermione, you are beautiful," I stated firmly, "and you deserve someone that will treat you like a bloody princess, someone who you can actually have an intelligent conversation with, someone that would be proud to show you off to everyone he meets and lives to make you happy. You need a gentleman Hermione, not a temperamental immature boy like Ron, at least not until he gets his head screwed on straight."

"What she said," was Liz's customary answer.

I had no idea what I was talking about.

I'd never had a bloody boyfriend before. I'd kissed two of my closest friends in moments of utter confusion. I thought that I'd known what a loving marriage looked like in my parents, but the last year had shattered any notions I thought I had. Harry's parents on the other hand… I'd never heard a bad thing about either of them. They lived for each other, they loved each other, and they died for each other and for their son. That's what I want for myself someday.

Hermione sniffled and gave us a watery smile. "Thank you Gia, Liz… When I got on the train at the beginning of September, I never thought I'd make such good friends. And I – I suppose you're right. I'll just have to give up this stupid crush on Ron, then."

"Gia!"

Looking over Hermione's shoulder, I saw Draco hurrying towards us and Hermione's face flushed brilliantly. He stopped and I could sense that he was truly agitated.

"Are you three okay?" he said quickly, checking us over as if looking for physical injury. "Potter told me you'd run after Granger after you'd all had a go at Weasley."

"We're fine Draco, thanks," said Liz calmly.

I wasn't sure who was more surprised at her casual – and first – use of his first name.

He looked at Hermione's red, wet face and I hid a smile as his expression softened the slightest bit. He pulled a clean, neatly folded silver and green handkerchief from his pocket with his initials embroidered on the corner, and handed it to Hermione, who was clearly speechless.

"Take it Granger," he said, his voice neither soft nor mocking. When Hermione didn't react, he reached out and took her hand, opening it and placing the handkerchief in her palm, before curling her fingers over it. His hand lingered briefly over hers before he dropped them.

"B-but I thought you wouldn't want to touch a muggleborn," said Hermione, almost suspiciously, "let alone give your handkerchief to one."

"Yes, you're a muggleborn – but that doesn't change the fact that you're a girl first, and one in need of a handkerchief," Draco said firmly.

Hermione stared at Draco before shoving his handkerchief into his hand and giving him a cold look. "Forget it Malfoy, I don't need your pity!" she snapped before whirling around and running in the opposite direction.

Draco looked as lost as we felt and stared down at the green cloth in his hand. "What'd I do?" he muttered quietly.

I gently squeezed his shoulder. "She's just confused right now Draco, and she needs time to think about some things," I said, staring in the direction Hermione had run. "Come on, let's go to dinner."

As we walked, my anger and sympathy were waging war in my head. One on hand, I wanted to tear Ron a new one, but if I knew Hermione, then I knew that that wouldn't make her feel any better. On the other hand, I had a feeling I knew exactly what Hermione needed and my time and energy was better spent accomplishing that. After a few minutes, I peeked at Draco in peripheral vision.

"So Dray…" I said slowly.

Liz immediately snorted in amusement, shaking her head from her customary spot on my left.

"Yes, Gia?" he glanced over at me.

"What do you think of Hermione?" I said innocently, hiding a grin as Draco nearly missed a step. Liz was now openly grinning and if I knew Liz and her power of perception, she'd noticed the same things that I had.

"W-what do I think of Granger? Why would you ask a ridiculous question like that?" He asked, recovering himself.

"I'm curious – humor me."

"Fine," he said, pausing as he thought, "she's an overbearing, overzealous, know-it-all Gryffindor that's been one of three thorns in my side since first year –"

"Draco –" I said warningly.

"You asked me a question, I'm going to answer it honestly," he said seriously. "But – but she's also clearly kind, caring, good-hearted, bloody brilliant, strong-willed, rather interesting actually, and –" he faltered and looked down at his feet as we walked, "and she's pretty, but if _either _of you tell her or anyone else I said any of those things –"

"You'll do nothing Draco, because I'm one of your best friends and Liz could probably eat you alive if she wanted to."

As he shot said girl a wary glance, images of her enormous tiger form probably flashing through his head, she gave him a wide, fanged smile.

"What's so wrong about thinking good things about Hermione?" I asked seriously, inwardly smiling at all the good things Draco had said about her.

"She's a muggleborn," said Draco immediately.

I stopped and grabbed his arm. "I thought you didn't have the same mindset as your father, Draco," I said harshly.

"I don't," he said, yanking his arm from my hand, "but I know what you're trying to do. It'd never work."

Damn, so much for being discreet.

"And why is that, Draco? Harry's mother was a muggleborn and his father was a prominent pureblood," I pointed out.

"Yes, but they existed in a completely different world – on a completely different side – than I," he countered.

"Draco, if you like her –"

"Who ever said I liked Granger?" Draco said finally, as we stopped outside the full Great Hall. "It'll never happen, Gia, so get those ridiculous little notions out of your head."

He entered the Hall and left Liz and I out in the corridor, stunned but more determined than ever. When we sat down at the Table, I noticed that they'd all changed their normal seating. For dinner, it seemed that Hermione would sit on my left, with Liz on my right; Neville sat across from Hermione, Harry across from me, and Ron in the farthest seat from Hermione, across from Liz. It seemed Ezra and Elias couldn't bear to pull themselves away from their third year admirers, because they were much farther down the table that night.

The atmosphere was tense, but they seemed to be talking about Moody's lesson.

"The way he talks," Harry said as he stabbed at a red potato on his plate, "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."

"Yeah I know," Ron said, pointedly ignoring the three of us, "Talk about paranoid… No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'Boo' behind him on April Fools' Day? And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we've got to do?"

"Moody's right though," I said to Harry, ignoring Ron the same way he was ignoring me, "we could be attacked at any moment. Take that bloody snake for example – none of us saw that coming."

"I suppose you're right," Harry said slowly, nodding.

"Too right," Liz commented, hardly glancing up from the gravy-smothered train wreck on her plate.

"You're just saying that because you're Moody's little pet," Ron muttered angrily. He yelped as I kicked him roughly under the table, and I grinned innocently, knowing he'd have a nasty bruise in a little while.

As much as I disliked Ron's recent attitude, he did have a point and we did have a lot going on, and so it was with great pleasure that I began plotting and planning for a very special and much needed day.

Early on the morning of September 19th, I awoke with a mission.

Despite the fact that the sun hadn't even come up yet, I had rolled out of bed and pulled on a robe, preparing to start Phase One of my plan of action for Hermione's fourteenth birthday. Liz had slept over the night before – platonically – and I glanced over at her sleeping body across the bed, smiling as I realized that Nova had abandoned me in the night in favor of curling up against Liz.

"Traitor…" I whispered amusedly.

Sliding into my fuzzy slippers, I shadow-stepped without a sound and arrived in the hallway just outside of the fourth year dorm. I eased open the door, grateful that it didn't creak as I'd once expected, and stepped into the wide, circular room. Nearly a month later and no one had dared touch the bed that was meant for me – the thought made me smile.

Walking on silent feet, I approached Hermione's bed and as usual, she'd fallen asleep with a book on her chest. She looked incredibly adorable as she wrinkled her nose in her sleep and her still silky hair ran wild around her face and pillow. I had not, however, snuck into the girls' dorm to watch Hermione sleep – my prize rested on the nightstand beside her bed. Picking up Hermione's alarm clock, I turned the switch to **OFF** and set it back down on the small table, before throwing up silencing charms around her bed in the case the other girls woke early.

"Phase One complete," I whispered, "Allow Hermione to sleep in for her birthday."

As Lavender shifted in her sleep, I quickly shadow-stepped back into my bedroom and kicked off my slippers. Climbing back into bed, I rolled around a bit until I found a comfortable spot and drifted off into a deep sleep.

About five hours later, around eleven o'clock, I was awakened before my alarm by a small tongue lapping at my face.

"Ugh – move Nova!" I ordered sleepily, blindly swatting at her. "I'd rather not have whatever you hunted last night all over my face!"

"You've been asleep for hours, Gia," groaned Liz, and when I finally opened my eyes, she was sprawled across the bed, fully dressed.

"Any news?" I grumbled, forcing myself to sit up and stretch.

"Nothing yet," she confirmed, casually shrugging her bare shoulders. She'd opted for a black, off-shoulder cropped sweater and high-rise black sweatpants; her hair had been pulled up into a neat top knot and I noticed that she'd even gone as far as to don a little makeup and the black diamond jewelry I'd given her.

"You look great – as always," I said sleepily, forcing down a yawn.

Looking around the room, I checked the time to be sure. I had anticipated Hermione waking up around noon, but if she hadn't, she was going to get a very special birthday wake-up call. Feeling a surge of energy and excitement, I rolled out of bed for the second time that day and hurried into the bathroom to get ready. About thirty minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a thick towel and entered my walk-in closet, where I let the towel drop as I picked out my outfit for the day. Humming and looking around at the many options I had, I felt eyes on me and looked over to see Liz leaning against the door frame, watching me closely.

We hadn't had anymore close-calls after the first, nor had she brought up the kiss ever again. I hadn't sensed a strain in our friendship but with the way she was looking at me now…well, those damn tingles started erupting all over my body.

Forcing myself to turn away, I decided that I wouldn't outshine Hermione on her own birthday and picked out an oversized t-shirt dress that stopped a few inches above my knees. I rolled up the loose sleeves to my elbows and slipped into bright red trainers to match the scarlet griffin emblazoned across the light grey surface. I allowed my hair to tumble down my shoulders in its usual curly locks and adorned a few small pieces of jewelry.

"How do I look?" I called out, twirling in the mirror as Nova sleepily padded into the closet.

"Beautiful, as always," said Liz, very freely allowing her eyes to rake me up and down.

"I was going for cute but casual" I said laughing, but my eyes drifted over to the large, pink gift-wrapped box in the corner of the closet.

"I hope she likes it," Lis said suddenly, "I didn't spend hours in Diagon Alley shopping for the damn thing for nothing."

"Any time spent with me is time well spent," was my patronizing reply.

After I was dressed and had packed my bag with everything that I wanted to keep on hand throughout the day, including my new camera to remember this day forever, I called goodbye to Nova who had found her favorite spot, a sunny patch near the windows in the common room. Liz and I decided to actually walk over to Gryffindor Tower this time and, as planned, we were met a little ways down the hallway by Ron and Harry. As promised, they were both dressed and ready for the day they'd all helped me plan. Ron and Hermione's relationship was still shaky in those days and I hoped that I wouldn't have to curse him before the day was over. I was _not_ going to let his fragile ego ruin my best friend's birthday.

"You both look great," Ron said happily, eyes wide, "Really great."

"Thanks Ron," I said slowly, curious as to what had him in such high spirits. "You two don't look too bad yourselves."

"Are we all ready then?" asked Harry, carelessly running his fingers through his hair.

"Let's do it," said Liz, hints of a smile shining through.

The boys opened the portrait hole and let us into the common room, which was dotted here and there with a few early rising lions. I had quickly learned that hardly anyone – other than the fifth and seventh years who had to study – rose before noon on the weekends. We commandeered a small couch to relax on and talked about all the homework due once classes started up again on Monday.

Around noon, as predicted, Hermione burst out of the girls' dorm, half-asleep and still in her pajamas.

"Who turned off my alarm?" she shouted, panicked. "I've missed hours and hours of studying time! Oh no, I'll never be able to catch up and then I'll fall behind the class and my grades will start slipping and before you know it, I'll be failing at everything and then I'll flunk out of Hogwarts and live the rest of my life as a lonely old cat lady with no education!"

"Hermione, Hermione, calm down," I had to shout to be heard over her tirade, and when she'd finally calmed down, the boys, Liz, and I burst into laughter. At her indignant glare, we looked at each other and together we shouted –

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIONE!" and pulled her into a tight group hug.

When we pulled apart, Hermione looked both shocked and touched, and I made sure to snap several pictures of her face. Pushing her hair back from her face, she gave us a warm smile and blew out a deep breath.

"Thanks guys, I had no idea that you would surprise me like this," she said, before turning a dark eye on me, "it was your idea to let me sleep in, wasn't it, Gia? Harry and Ron don't have the gall and they can't get into the girls' dorms."

"What am I – chopped liver?" Liz complained woefully.

"Of course not," said Hermione, throwing an arm around Liz's shoulder, "But this has Gia's name written all over it."

I laughed and put my hands up in surrender, "You got me Hermione, but the fun has only just begun."

Taking out my wand, I summoned Hermione's robe and handed it to her. Upon realizing that she was in the common room in her pajamas, she nearly shrieked, snatched the robes, and hurriedly wrapped them around her.

Despite her protests, Harry, Ron, Liz, and I half-dragged, half-pushed Hermione on a rather roundabout route to the Great Hall, which was full with the entire school for a late lunch. By the time we sat Hermione down at her usual spot, the entire Gryffindor house had turned up and crowded around her at the table.

"Knoll!" I called, clapping my hands.

Instantly, my favorite Hogwarts elf popped onto the Gryffindor table with an absolutely enormous birthday cake made of mismatched layers, and floated it down to the table in front of Hermione. By this time, we had gotten the entire school's attention and even the professors and Dumbledore were watching on with curiosity and amusement.

Hermione was clearly in complete shock, but this was still just the beginning.

Everyone had huge grins on their faces and as I gave the signal, the entire house burst into an enthusiastic and off-key version of Happy Birthday, which immediately brought Hermione to tears – she had to cover her face with her hands but we could all see the giant smile that shone through.

When we had finished – Fred and George were, of course, the last two singing – the entire Great Hall, including the Professors but minus the Slytherins and Professor Snape, burst into loud applause. Hermione looked around at everyone with shining eyes.

"Who planned all of this?" she asked, amazed.

I laughed as everyone pointed at me and said, "Gia did it".

Laughing knowingly, Hermione stood up and gave me a big hug which, of course, prompted everyone within reach to squeeze into a house-hug. After calling a few more kitchen elves to cut and serve the cake to the entire Gryffindor house, and then the rest of the students when we had been served, everyone dispersed, leaving a glowing Hermione with the boys, Liz, and me.

Phase Two had been a complete success and I'd gotten pictures of the entire thing. While everyone looked away, I took my camera back from Colin Creevey and slipped him a couple galleons for his work.

While Hermione kept thanking me over and over, I saw Dumbledore approach on his way out of the Great Hall. He stopped beside us and I was nearly breathless with the immense power I felt radiating off of the man at the moment, as much as I may dislike him.

He smiled down at all of us and placed a grandfatherly hand on Hermione's shoulder, "A very happy birthday to you, Miss Granger. Of all the birthdays I've had – and believe me, I've had quite a few – I don't think any of my friends went to such great lengths as yours have."

"T-thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione stammered, awed. With that, Dumbledore patted each of us on the shoulder before sweeping out of the Hall, his purple robes twinkling all the way.

"Thank you Gia," Hermione said for the hundredth time, "this is an amazing birthday surprise. I don't know how –"

"Ha," I laughed, stopping Hermione, "I hope you don't think the surprises end here, Mione?" I smiled harder at her puzzled expression. "Believe me, Mione, this is just the beginning. Follow me."

Days before, I had decided that Hermione's birthday would be the perfect time to officially lock my friends into the wards around East Tower, allowing them access even when I wasn't around. As I brought them to the common room, a decent-sized pile of presents waited for Hermione.

"Oh I really can't –"

"It's your bloody birthday, for Merlin's sake Hermione!" Liz groaned, throwing herself back into an armchair rather dramatically. "You know how much of a menace that red-headed she-devil is," she said, jerking her thumb at me, ignoring my offended expression, "And I certainly did not suffer through birthday shopping with her for nothing. Open the damn gifts."

After getting her giggling fit under control, Hermione gleefully tore into her gifts. There were, of course, stacks and stacks of nice books that, surprisingly, she hadn't read yet. Liz had somehow gotten her hands on a set of accessories – headbands, wristbands, even earrings – that were all charmed to protect the wearer from a variety of dark curses. Harry and I had co-conspired on an enchanted photo album, already filled with pictures of the trio from their first three years at Hogwarts – Colin had even been nice enough to do an impromptu photo shoot with the four of us to get pictures of Liz and me in there as well.

It was Ron's gift – with coaching and funding from me – that gave me the most excitement when Hermione got to it.

Upon picking up the small black box, I could see that Hermione was both awed and eager to open it, especially since it didn't have a name tag on it. Almost agonizingly slow, she pulled up the lid and inside, nestled in white satin was a small but extremely pretty charm bracelet with a single owl-shaped charm dangling from it. At Hermione's intake of breath, Ron flushed a deep beet red and ducked his head, before taking a deep breath and kneeling in front of Hermione's chair. Her face clearly showed the depths of her shock and confusion.

"You – you got this for me, Ron?" her voice was nearly a whisper as she looked down at Ron's scarlet face.

"I –" he started, but his words seemed to fail him. I knew that Harry wanted to offer him support but we'd all agreed to give him this moment of redemption on his own. "I'm sorry Hermione," said Ron finally, "I've been a terrible, inconsiderate, miserable prat – especially these past few weeks – and I'm terribly sorry. You've always been the very best of friends and I'm afraid I haven't been that good to you in return. I… I just wanted to show you that you mean a lot to me, and – and I promise I'll try my best to be better. And I really wanted you to enjoy your birthday."

Ron couldn't have said it before if I'd written him a script myself.

Hermione seemed beyond words because rather than thank him, he shouted in surprise as she knocked him on his back with a fierce hug, her face glistening. When they both sat up again, she gifted him with a big, fat kiss on the cheek, which set them both blushing and looking away from each other.

Harry and I shared an amused glance.

"Well," Harry said, standing up and stretching, "It's time for us to get going and leave you three to…whatever it is that girls do on their birthdays."

"Yeah," Ron said, "I want to see if lunch is still going on in the Great Hall. D'you think the elves will send up some snacks for us?"

"Worth a shot," Harry shrugged.

"You're leaving?" said Hermione, her smile fading.

"Only because I had another girls' day planned for your birthday Hermione," I jumped in quickly, "Don't worry, we'll catch up with the boys later on tonight."

"Yeah, we'll see you tonight Mione," Ron said, still pink from the kiss on the cheek.

"Happy birthday Mione," the boys called as they left East Tower.

"Are you ready to have the best girly birthday ever?" I asked excitedly.

"Please say yes," Liz groaned, covering her eyes in anticipation for Hermione's protest and my readily prepared counterarguments.

"Yes, let's do it," said Hermione happily. "You all have gone through so much trouble for my birthday… I've never had real friends before I met Harry and Ron. People mostly used me to get ahead in school and then stopped liking me, but –"

"But you've got us now," I said firmly, linking my arm through hers. Before she could say anything, I shadow-stepped us straight into my closet.

"Just leave me to walk like a bloody muggle, why don't you!" Liz called from the common room, groaning and grumbling as she marched up the marble steps.

I had forgotten that Hermione had never fully stepped foot inside the closet, and her eyes damn near popped out of her head at the sight of all the clothes, shoes, and various other beauty items I had. "Who needs these much clothes? It's like its own boutique in here!"

Sitting her at one of the many lounge chairs around the closet, I presented her with the giant gift wrapped box and smiled expectantly at her, Liz standing over my shoulder. Almost warily, Hermione tugged at the red satin ribbon until it came apart and lifted the lid off the box, revealing a long-sleeved, sparkling rose-gold dress. Inside the box was a cream cardigan and matching boots, a birthday sash, and a real diamond tiara from my own vault.

"I wanted you to wear this today, Mione," I said warmly, "I thought it would look amazing with what I had planned for you."

"Oh no Gia," Hermione protested, "This is much too pretty for me. I'm not used to wearing things like this."

"Which is exactly why I wanted to get you into something like this for your birthday," I countered before hitting Hermione with a wide eyed puppy dog look. "Please Mione, for me?"

"You know it's better to just give in," Liz muttered, sinking into her own seat.

Once again, Hermione caved under my puppy eyes.

About ten minutes later, Hermione emerged from the bathroom and quite frankly, she looked dropped dead gorgeous. I wouldn't let her see her reflection as I forced her into a chair and used a spell to give her hair deep waves, and then slowly, set the tiara atop her head, fixing the combs so that it would stay put.

"What do you think?" I said grandly, spinning her chair around and allowing her to get the full effect.

She was beyond words.

Liz walked over to us and grabbed my hand, and before Hermione could speak, I grabbed her and shadow-stepped us away. Our first stop was _Libba's_, and its namesake was only too delighted to give us the same full body treatment that we'd had last time, minus the hairstyling. We had a nice lunch at an extremely experience restaurant that neither Hermione nor Liz had ever heard of. It was tucked in the back of a side-alley that catered to wealthier magic-folk, with its expensive boutiques, wine shops, jewelers, and dozens of other odds and ends. Afterwards, we allowed Hermione to drag us through whatever bookstore she wanted, purchased all kinds of treats for her grumpy cat, and popped in and out of other various stores.

"Time for the last surprise Mione, are you ready?" I asked softly, grabbing hold of Hermione's hand after I'd shrunken all our purchases and shoved them into my bag.

"Yes, I'm ready," Hermione said, smiling brightly.

Keeping hold of both girls, we disappeared without a sound and arrived in the East Tower common room, but instead of couches, chairs, and furniture, it looked completely different.

As instructed, the boys had recruited Prim and a few castle elves to help turn the common room into a fancy restaurant and were currently seated a wide dining table, dressed to the nines in the outfits I had brought for them – slacks, red ties, and all.

"Wow," Hermione breathed, staring around at the dim lighting, candles floating about the room, and the heavenly aroma of her favorite foods wafting from the covered platters on the table. "Is that – it can't be…?"

"Your mother's famous deep dish brownies that she ONLY makes for birthdays and holidays?" I finished smugly, buffing my nails on my shirt, "Why, yes Hermione, you would be correct."

"How did you make that happen?" gasped Hermione, truly floored as she slowly approached the table and lifted up the lids to see what lied underneath.

"Well, these three idiots –" I ignored the unison 'Oi!', "have been helping me plan your birthday all week. We've all seen how hard you've been pushing yourself lately, and we just wanted to give you a day that was all about you and nothing else. And Liz _may_ have threatened a few school owls and elves to get your parents' address so that we could get their help for this part of the surprise."

Hermione's eyes were glistening with unshed tears and she pulled me and Liz into another tight hug. "We just met a few weeks ago and you went to all this trouble for my birthday?" she asked, her voice watery.

I shifted awkwardly, "Yeah well, isn't that what friends do for each other? But enough about me, let's enjoy this birthday feast in your honor."

With that, the boys spent the first fifteen minutes complimenting Hermione on everything from her hair down to the boots she wore, and everything in between. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone blush for that long a time in my life. After uncovering all of the platters and seeing her favorite childhood meals laid out for her special day, Hermione was speechless and was finally content to simply enjoy this moment. The five of us sat around the dining table, glowing in the candlelight, and we dug in.

That night sealed our bond forever.

Unfortunately, after the magical day that had been Hermione's birthday, it was back to reality.

All of us had no doubt noticed a significant increase in the amount of work we were required to do this term. Professor McGonagall had explained why when our class gave a particularly loud groan at amount of Transfiguration homework she had assigned.

"You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" she told us, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her square spectacles. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer –"

"We don't take OWLs till fifth year!" Dean protested indignantly.

"Maybe not Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Moon and Mr. Potter are the only two people in this class who have managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion, and Miss Grey and Miss Granger, the only students to transfigure their hedgehog into a perfect pincushion with a neat design. I might remind you that your pincushion Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!"

Hermione, who'd been in such high spirits since her special day, smiled smugly from her seat with us in the back row. Her grades were impeccable and we were neck and neck, tied for top student, but she hadn't complained once. In fact, she confided in me that she was happy for the friendly competition. Ron and Hermione had been on solid ground since her birthday, but whenever she and Draco were forced to be in the same room together, they ignored each other, speaking only directly to Harry or me. Draco tried to remain aloof, but I knew my best friend and I knew that the more he got to know Hermione, the more it bothered him to not talk to her – even if they were bickering over something.

However, not everything at Hogwarts was bad or tense. We hadn't had a chance to get back into the Chamber of Secrets after the first time. But I was happy to say that Harry's training and physical condition had increased dramatically since he'd dropped Divination and begun, not only training with me, but also taking the potion regime I'd continued giving him. The result was that he'd shot up another couple inches, just a little shorter than Ron, and his body had filled out nicely, developing a small, but noticeable amount of muscle. This, along with the fact that I'd been showing Harry how to meditate, combined and flowed over into Harry's schoolwork, improving his marks significantly. Professor McGonagall had even pulled us to the side after class to compliment Harry on his vast improvements, and commented that she looking forward to seeing all that he could do in the future.

In lessons, I was enjoying Hogwarts indefinitely, even though Professor Binns had us writing weekly essays on the goblin rebellions of the eighteenth century – the boring ones, at that. As I had promised Hermione, I never used a Dicta Quill again and handwrote all of my History notes during class. Instead of simply copying them for the boys, I taught them how to properly take notes, and had somehow ended up also teaching Ron the basic meditation techniques I had started Harry on, helping them to keep up with Binns' droning lectures and stay awake during class. Liz, on the other hand, had no qualms about sporadically switching between dedicated notetaking and deep, fulfilling naps during History.

Professor Snape was also forcing us to research antidotes. The trio, Liz, Draco and I took these lessons especially serious, as he had hinted that he might be poisoning one of us before Christmas to see if our antidote worked. This prompted Ron to finally break from his common room chess matches; he'd finally worked through his pride enough to beg Liz to tutor him Potions as I was doing with Harry.

In potions, Draco surprised me by keeping up with my level of success. Interestingly enough, he and I were tied for top spot, with Hermione and Liz tying for second, and Harry coming in third. Professor Snape had initially been suspicious of Harry's vast increase of potion-making ability but during one of me and Draco's brewing sessions, in which we helped replenish Madam Pomfrey's supply, I had explained the extra tutoring I'd been giving Harry. Though he was reluctant to think anything good about Harry – something I didn't understand in the slightest – he'd stopped openly harassing Harry in class. Rather than simply yelling in Harry's face and vanishing his potion, he'd randomly stop behind Harry – in the middle of brewing – and ask him all sorts of Potions related questions. Occasionally, Harry got the answer wrong and Snape would sneer triumphantly, as if his point were proven. But more often than not, Harry could give well-thought out answers that forced Snape to find another victim.

None of us – even Snape, after I had asked him – had heard any news about the snake that possibly belonged to Voldemort or how it had gotten into the castle. After incessant badgering, Snape had also revealed that Dumbledore had never fulfilled his promise to upgrade the wards around the castle, and that made me wary – and nervous. We could be attacked again at any moment.

Professor Flitwick had asked us to read three extra books in preparation for our lesson on Summoning Charms, which was a boringly easy spell if you asked me. Rather than waste my time researching a spell that I already knew like the back of my hand, I had pulled Professor Flitwick aside after class and demonstrated that I could cast the spell already. He'd been delighted and excused me from the reading assignment, although he assigned me a short essay that required a small amount of research.

Because I had already caught up in my missed assignments, I had a small bit of free time in between tutoring and training Harry, and trying to be a good friend to the ones I'd made at Hogwarts. In this miniscule amount of free time, I had been exchanging letters with Gnarlkin, who had reported that there had been another attempt to breach the wards around my house. Even though I wasn't living there at the moment, this information greatly disturbed me and I had refrained from sending Nova back to patrol the house for fear of putting her in danger. In my mind, there were only two suspects: my father and Voldemort.

And being completely honest, I'd rather not face either of them any time soon.

I had also put in some inquiries about Harry to Gnarlkin, and although he couldn't divulge a load of information seeing as I wasn't a blood relative of Harry's, I'd learned enough to make me angry and suspicious.

I had finally been given the privilege of meeting our Care of Magical Creatures professor, Hagrid, who was a good friend of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's. But even the friendly professor was adding to our workload. After having the…pleasure of being acquainted with what Hagrid called Blast-Ended Skrewts, we watched over the weeks as they grew at a remarkable pace, especially given that no one had yet discovered what those things ate. Hagrid had been delighted, however, and as part of our project, he suggested that we come down to his hut on alternate evenings to observe the skrewts and make notes on their extraordinary behavior. My friends and I used this as an opportunity to relax and chat with Hagrid in his hut; I learned a great deal about magical creatures from Hagrid, and in return, I delighted him with information about one of the few magical beings that he knew little about – Lycans. While we enjoyed these evenings – not everyone had the same outlook.

"I will not," Pansy had stated flatly when Hagrid had proposed this addition to the project with the air of Father Christmas pulling an extra-large toy out of his sack. "I've seen enough of these foul, disgusting things during lessons, thanks," she'd said, wrinkling her nose.

Pansy had been a particularly annoying thorn in my side over the previous few weeks, doing her best to drive a wedge between Draco and me, or force his father's hand, and so it was heart-warming to watch the smile fade off of Hagrid face as he leveled her with a cold look. "Yeh'll do what yer told," he growled, frightening the pathetic girl, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book…but instead of a ferret, I think yeh'll make a good pug, Parkinson."

The Gryffindors had all roared with laughter, hooting and holding onto each other until tears leaked from our eyes and our sides ached. Pansy had looked to Draco to defend her, only to flounce away upon seeing him doing nothing to hide his own amusement; Zabini and Nott barely suppressed their laughter, even though their bodies visibly shook with mirth.

As I'd gotten closer to Elias and Ezra, I made the rookie mistake of getting them more acquainted with the Weasley twins. The four of them had immediately hit it off, especially as Liz's brothers were already rather close with Ginny, and it appeared that Fred and George had taken the Moon twins under their wings. Although I had refused to actively participate in whatever pranks the two sets of twins and Peeves cooked up, I was more than happy to be an extra lookout, making use of my extra senses. In exchange for my help, I had the privilege of providing targets to the pranksters… and Pansy was at the top of my shit list.

It was that afternoon, after lessons had ended, that things began to get even more interesting.

When we arrived in the entrance hall, we found ourselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to get through the crowd. After several more ignored attempts, I felt my impatience flare and I set off a loud bang with my wand. "I said excuse me!" I shouted, feeling a dark satisfaction as the crowd fell silent and parted.

Making my way through the newly cleared space, my friends followed behind me until we reached the sign, where I read it loudly for all to hear:

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

**THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCKON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY. STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.**

"Only a week away!" Ernie Macmillan, a boy I recognized from Herbology class as a Hufflepuff, said as he emerged from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. "I wonder if Cedric knows. Think I'll go and tell him…"

"Cedric's entering the tournament?" I said, excitement and worry bubbling inside of me.

"That pretty boy ponce, Hogwarts champion?" Crabbe said thickly from my right. Goyle and chunky Millicent Bulstrode laughed heartily at this stupid joke.

Abruptly, I grabbed the front of Crabbe's shirt, lifted him off of his feet, and slammed his back into the nearest wall.

Harry and Ron openly gaped, mouths wide and all, but I didn't care. The last full moon had hardly passed a week ago and I was still worryingly experiencing the side effects. My temper was much shorter and I experienced sporadic bursts of additional strength or overpowering of simple spells.

"What did you say about my brother, Crabbe?" I growled, literally, the vibration growing in my chest.

"Gia, don't," Hermione said worriedly, ignoring Crabbe's grateful glance her way, "Anyone could pass by and see. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I doubt anybody will really notice if we just ate the pig right now," Liz hissed darkly from over my shoulder, baring her fangs at Crabbe until his face turned chalk-white.

I gave him one last cold look and let him drop to his feet. "If you say another word against Cedric, Hermione won't be able to stop me."

"Come on," Hermione said, pulling us towards the Great Hall for dinner, "Cedric will be a great champion."

Later on during dinner, Draco had casually strode by the Gryffindor table, leaning down and whispering that word had somehow spread that Crabbe had been beaten up by a girl – by me. He was clearly amused, but he said that Crabbe and Goyle were just dumb enough to try something anyway, and to be on my toes.

The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle. During the following week, there seemed to be only one topic of conversation no matter where we went: the Triwizard Tournament. Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang differed from us.

"Cedric!" I had called one afternoon that week, upon finally tracking down my pseudo-brother. He and his friends, amongst them was Gabriel Tate, stopped walking and turned to face me.

"Are the rumors true?" I said, grinning up at him. "Are you really entering the Tournament?"

Cedric looked apprehensive about answering, but finally nodded. "Yes, yes I am…You're…okay with that?"

"Of course I am Ricky, I'm so proud of you! I know you'll be chosen as Hogwarts champion!" Checking the time, I saw that I was about to be late for class. I pulled the much taller boy into a quick hug and pecked him on the cheek. "We'll all be rooting for you!" I called over my shoulder as I took off running.

After confirming that he had my support, Cedric was much more open about his desire to enter the Tournament and I noticed that he always had a crowd of younger Hufflepuffs trailing after him – it was rather cute. I also noticed that the castle seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning. Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces. The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking, and Argus Filch, the caretaker, was behaving so ferociously to any student who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics. I was mystified as to why Filch even worked around children, but added it to my mental list of suspicious or useless things around Hogwarts.

Many other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too. "Longbottom, kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!" Professor McGonagall barked at the end of another hectic lesson.

"Professor, I understand that this is a stressful time for all of us," I said calmly, unable to simply stand by and let her belittle another boy that I considered a brother, "but that was completely uncalled for."

"Then perhaps you could teach him the spell, Miss Grey," Professor McGonagall responded, her nostrils flaring.

Pulling Neville away from the rest of the class, I forced him to look at me. "Neville, you've been doing so much better this year in almost all of your classes and this spell is an easy one, I know you can do it. You have to believe in yourself, okay? When you have no one else, you still have yourself. Now focus, but don't force it. Let it flow from your mind, through your magic, into your wand. Come on, try this again."

After my little pep-talk, it had taken Neville quite a few more tries, but finally, he successfully cast the Switching Spell – earning ten points from a thin-lipped McGonagall.

When we went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, we found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H. The trio, Liz, and I sat down beside Fred and George at the Gryffindor Table. We'd noticed that they'd been sitting apart from everyone else, even the Moon twins, and conversing in low voices lately and today was no exception.

"…It's a bummer, all right," George was saying gloomily to Fred.

"But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

"Who's avoiding you?" Ron asked, sitting down next to them.

"Wish you would," Fred said, looking irritated at the interruption.

"What's a bummer?" Ron asked, turning to George.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother," George said, pointedly turning back to his twin.

"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked quickly, sensing danger. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"

"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," said George bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Ron said, shrugging off his sour mood. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before…"

Liz snorted and shook her head.

"What? You don't think we could do it?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You haven't had your little adventures in front of a panel of judges," Fred chimed in, "McGonagall says the champions get awarded pints according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who are the judges?"

"Well," Hermione piped up, "the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage."

"I've read about that…" I said, thinking back, "it's in _Hogwarts, A History_, right?"

Hermione's expression was of someone who'd finally found a kindred spirit.

During breakfast, Harry had gotten a simple, update note from Sirius, telling him that everything was fine on his end and he was still coming back. I still had warned Harry against talking to Sirius about Draco in a letter, but Sirius had assured Harry that he would be around soon and until then, we would have to wait. Other than that, it was as relatively normal as a day at Hogwarts could get.

There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day, and no one was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang; and although I thoroughly enjoyed Potions, Harry seemed to relish the fact that it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, my friends and I hurried up to the seventh floor and went our separate ways. Somehow over the course of the past month, Liz had slowly moved more and more of her things into East Tower and had officially commandeered the bedroom to the left of mine. We dropped our things in the common room before racing to meet up with the trio at the top of the marble staircase.

Cloak in hand, I draped it over my shoulders as we rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall. The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines. Glancing to the far left, I caught sight of familiar white-blonde hair. I grinned at Draco from a distance and watched as he dramatically rolled his eyes. I had to stifle my giggles as McGonagall walked down the line, barking orders.

"Weasley – no, the other one – straighten your hair!"

Looking up at Harry, he looked wary as I reached up and began trying to fix his untamable hair. "It's a lost cause, Gia. I'm almost positive that it has a mind of its own," he grumbled.

Taking his advice into mind, instead of trying to make it neater, I mussed it around in a way that almost looked intentional. I'd noticed that as Harry's physical appearance improved, girls were paying him much more attention, sending him flirty waves and winks in the corridors, and a strong flare of anger and possessiveness rose within me every time I witnessed this.

But I had no right to be possessive. It's not like Harry was my…boyfriend or anything. We were just friends.

Even as I thought that, my hands lightly trailed down his arms as I finished playing in his hair. This contact caused a slight crackle of energy to pop up along Harry's skin and I grinned, enjoying the effect I had on him. We smiled at each other, only brought back to reality as McGonagall continued snapping at various students.

"Follow me please," said Professor McGonagall. "First years in front – no pushing…"

We all filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. As I gazed up at the moon, I felt a rush of power and had to tone down the sudden brightening of the glow in my eyes. Harry gently grabbed my hand from behind me, bringing me back to earth and keeping me grounded. Liz nudged me from the side, but I shook my head at her, gesturing that I had it under control.

"Nearly six," Ron said quietly, checking his watch and the staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"I doubt it – not from that distance anyway," said Harry. "Broomsticks would be too uncomfortable for such a long flight, as well."

"A portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could apparate – maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

"You can't apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" Hermione said exasperatedly.

"What about the snake, then?" Ron whispered triumphantly.

As I leveled them both with irritable glares, Dumbledore broke the silence. "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbaton approaches!"

"Where?" many students exclaimed eagerly, as Ron stepped back into his place in the line.

"There!" a sixth year yelled, pointing over the forest.

Something large – shaped nothing like a broomstick, or even a hundred broomsticks – was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time. As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, bending its trees in the rush of air that followed and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, I saw a gigantic, powder blue, horse-drawn carriage – the size of a large house – soaring toward us, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos and each the size of an elephant.

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed – then, with an almighty crash, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bounding upon its vast wheels while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes. As my eyes quickly took in the details of the carriage, I noticed that the door bore a coat of arms: two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars, but before I could peer at it more closely, the door opened. A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps and then he sprang back respectfully. Then, I saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage – a shoe the size of a child's sled – followed almost immediately by the largest woman I had ever laid eyes on in my life.

_Well, that explains the size of the horses and the carriage_, I thought dryly.

A few people gasped.

"Blimey – that's one big woman," breathed Seamus, slapping Dean on the shoulder further up the line.

As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, I could clearly see her features and saw that she seemed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck and she was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers. Dumbledore started to clap and we, following his lead, broke into loud applause too, many students standing on tiptoe to get a better look at this woman. Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though rather tall himself, only had to incline his head slightly to kiss it.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said, "welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dort," Madam Maxime said in a deep voice, "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," Dumbledore said.

"My pupils," Madame Maxime said, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

Every head swiveled back around to the carriage where about a dozen girls, all in their late teens by the look of them, emerged gracefully from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. The first thing I noticed was the unmistakable energy of a magical being. Liz nudged me again and we shared a long look, so I knew that she had sensed the same thing I had.

As I scanned the group, I couldn't help but think that they were all pale and incredibly beautiful, though in different ways. I couldn't pinpoint exactly who the energy came from as they were standing so close together, but if another magical being was going to be here during term, things were bound to get interesting. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk and none of them were wearing cloaks, though a few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. Looking at their faces – or what I could see of them around Madame Maxime – they seemed to be staring up at Hogwarts with apprehension on their faces.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," Dumbledore said. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," Madame Maxime said quickly, looking down at her shivering students. "But ze 'orses –"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore reassured her, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other – err – charges."

"Bloody skrewts," I muttered, rolling my eyes as Harry stifled a snort behind me.

"My steeds require – err – forceful 'andling," Madame Maxime said, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creature teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong…"

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," Dumbledore insisted, smiling.

"Very well," Madame Maxime said, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.

"Come," Madame Maxime said imperiously to her students, and we all parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

"How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus asked, leaning around Lavender and Parvati to address Harry and Ron.

"Well, if they're any bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," Harry sighed, shaking his head.

"That's if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"

"Maybe they've escaped," Ron said hopefully.

"Do you really want those things running loose on the grounds?" I replied incredulously, my eyes still following the retreating backs of the Beauxbatons girls.

Almost all of us were shivering now, and I begun to feel affected more and more by the coming cold weather. It was hard to concentrate with Harry's strong, warm body standing so close behind me. My vision blacked for a millisecond but when it returned, I found myself enveloped in incredible warmth. I felt strong arms go around me, pulling me closer and deeper into the warmth, and I embraced it, inhaling an irresistible scent that so naturally Harry…

My eyes snapped open and it only took me a moment to realize that I was pressed against Harry's chest, his robes – though still on his body – were wrapped around me, as were his arms. He was holding me tightly, but not uncomfortably, almost as if he had no intentions of letting go anytime soon. I briefly thought about pushing away until I felt the rumble of his deepening voice through his chest.

"Is that better, Gia?" Harry murmured into my hair, shifting so that he was holding up most of my weight. I hadn't even realized that I was leaning so heavily on him, but my small frame didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. Suddenly shy, I couldn't speak but instead nodded and sighed contently, snuggling as close as possible into Harry's robes. Peeking out every few minutes, I could see that most of the other students were still gazing hopefully up at the sky, the silence only being broken by Madame Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping.

My ears twitched and perked up as I heard a distinct bubbling and sloshing sound. "The lake," I said loudly, wriggling out of Harry's embrace and looking in that direction.

Everyone looked over at the Black Lake and from our position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds we had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water – except the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center, great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were not washing over the muddy banks – and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor. What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool – and then we saw the rigging…

"It's a mast!" Harry gasped.

Slowly, magnificent, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, we heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank. People, clearly male from their figures, were disembarking. I could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them had oddly shaped bodies, but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, we saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of smooth, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my old friend, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.

Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle, I saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his salt and pepper hair was short, and his goatee (finished in a small curl) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow and as I naturally assessed his features, I saw this smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd.

There was something…dark about him – something I didn't particularly trust…but Professor Snape had the same feel around him. I promptly decided that I'd have to watch this Professor Karkaroff.

"How good it is to be here, how good… Viktor, come along, into the warmth… You don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold…" Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students.

As the boy passed, wearing a fur cape of a much better quality than his peers, I instantly noted the prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. I didn't need the punch on the arm Ron gave Harry or the hiss, to recognize that profile.

"Oh Merlin," I breathed, my body flooding with warmth, "it's Viktor Krum!"


	11. Revelations

**Chapter 11**

"I don't believe it!" said Ron, stunned.

As we filed back up the steps behind the Durmstrang males, Ron gushed excessively. "Krum, Harry! Viktor Krum!"

"For Merlin's sake Ron, you sound like a bloody fan girl," I huffed, rolling my eyes. Ron's face reddened as Seamus and Dean laughed behind us, and even Harry had to quickly cover his snort with coughing.

"He's only a Quidditch player," Hermione said patronizingly.

"Hermione!" I gasped, clutching my heart. "He's the greatest and youngest seeker in the professional league! You saw him play at the World Cup. Of course, he's more than just a Quidditch player. He's a legend!"

"Who sounds like a fan girl now?" Ron teased, yelping as he just barely dodged a smack to the back of the head.

As we crossed the entrance hall again with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall, I saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum's head. Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked.

"Oh I don't believe it! I haven't got a single quill on me –"

"D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?"

"Honestly," Hermione said softly, as we passed the girls, now squabbling over the lipstick.

"If Harry wasn't so moody all the time, they'd be doing the same thing to him," said Liz calmly, though she was clearly amused.

"Hey, I don't get moody!" protested Harry.

Hermione, Liz, and I raised an eyebrow at him at the same time.

"Oh shut it, you three," he muttered, "Honestly Hermione, you're as bad as them now."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Potter," Liz said dryly. "As long as I'm not lumped onto the same looney scale as this one," she jerked her thumb at me.

"Always so willing to throw me under the dragon, huh Moon?"

"I'm getting his autograph if I can," Ron said, reanimating. "You haven't got a quill, have you, Harry?"

"No, they're upstairs in my bag," Harry shrugged.

Stepping into the Great Hall, I instantly relaxed as comfortable warmth washed over my frigid body and we walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron seemed pleased that his usual seat faced the doorway, because Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered around it, apparently unsure about where they should sit. Biting my lip, I hesitated slightly before standing up, attracting the attention of quite a few people.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked quickly.

"Being a Gryffindor," was my short and simple reply.

I walked over to the unsure Durmstrang males, gaining their full and undivided attention. Executing a stunningly graceful curtsy, I immediately smelled the musky scent of arousal and attraction, the curtsy having hitched my skirt a little higher up my bare thighs. Walking directly up to Krum, I summoned a bright and dazzling smile, feeling immensely pleased with myself as I saw him respond with the same.

"I recognize you," he said slowly, and my pulse quickened.

"You do?" I said, hoping that I didn't sound as excited as I felt.

"Yes, you vere at the World Cup… Your minister's tent before the match, yes?" he asked, maintaining eye contact.

"Yes…" I said, almost dreamily. "Err – my name is Giavana Grey, it's a pleasure to meet you – all of you." I nodded and smiled at all of them as I extended my hand to Krum. He bowed his head over my hand and lightly brushed his lips over the back of it. At this, I heard many growls, hisses, and foul words, but I ignored it, almost mortified as my cheeks heated up.

"It is also a pleasure to meet von of Hogwarts most beautiful students," Krum said in halting English.

Smiling brightly, I ducked my head slightly. "Thank you, Krum."

"Please – call me Viktor," he insisted.

"Viktor," I repeated softly, and he smiled. "Well, I would like to be the first to not only welcome all of you to Hogwarts, but also, I'd like to be the first to say that I am a huge fan of yours."

"You are a fan of Quidditch?" he asked, raising a thick eyebrow.

"I live for it!" I said enthusiastically, before forcing myself to calm down.

"Then ve have something in common," he said charmingly. "But you don't act like a normal fan girl."

"I am a fan, but not a fan girl. There is a huge difference," I said firmly.

"I see," he said, still smiling. I was only too aware that the entire Hall, including the professors, all three Heads, and the Beauxbaton girls, was watching and listening to our conversation rather closely.

"I hope you don't think I'm a bother, but…I was wondering if you'd sign something for me? I promise I won't sell it," I said tentatively, forcing down the squirming, wriggling feeling in my stomach.

Viktor chuckled deeply, but he nodded in agreement and I quickly removed my wand and conjured parchment and a muggle pen. I watched as Viktor wrote out a small note, and then signed his name with neat, spidery handwriting, before gently handing me the scrap.

"If any of you," I said, talking to all of them once more, "need anything, someone to show you around or answer questions, I'd be happy to help in any way that I can."

"You are very kind," Viktor said, bowing to me once more.

I reciprocated with a less extravagant curtsy and walked confidently back to the Gryffindor Table, where I sat between Liz and Hermione.

Looking over my shoulder, I blushed as Viktor sent me a quick smile before he and the other Durmstrang students went and settled at the Slytherin Table. The students from Beauxbaton had already chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.

"It's not that cold," Hermione said bitingly. "Why didn't they bring cloaks?"

"Geez Hermione, they're probably just a little homesick," said Liz, glancing curiously as I absently blew over the ink on the parchment.

After ensuring that it was dry, I cast basic protection and preservation charms over it. My eyes quickly scanned the short note that Viktor had written, and a large smile bloomed on my face.

_Giavana,_

_A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. I am very much looking forward to getting to know you this year, and I hope that we will get to spend much time together. The privilege of being able to see your stunning smile every day has made this trip all the more worth it, though forgive me if I am sometimes shy in your presence._

_Viktor Krum_

"Well, what does it say?" Harry said, leaning closer to get a look.

I quickly shoved the parchment into my robes pocket, and gave Harry an easy smile. "Just the usual stuff you'd expect an athlete to say to a fan, nothing special." I shrugged lightly and ignored Liz and Hermione's small, knowing smirks.

The Durmstrang students were now pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed. As they did this, I looked for Draco and found him already staring in my direction. I smiled at him until I realized that he wasn't looking at me…he was staring at the back of Hermione's head. Grinning, I nudged her.

"Look at the Slytherin table, about in the middle," I whispered.

She turned and craned her neck to look across the Hall. I watched the very second that her and Draco's eyes met, and both flushed and looked away. I felt heated glares being burned into my head and looked down the table to see the two lipstick sixth year girls were the source. I considered scaring them off with a bit of Lycan intimidation, but simply scanned them dismissively, before smirking, tossing my hair over my shoulder, and looking away as though the two didn't even exist. I heard their puffs of outrage and it took much self-control to not burst into laughter at that.

"So, what was it like?" Ron asked eagerly, leaning forward.

"What was what like?" I asked slowly.

"Talking to Krum," he said, as if it should've been obvious.

"Oh – that. Well, it was sort of like talking to Harry when I first met him – I know he's famous, but I don't want to make him uncomfortable or come off as an obsessive fan," was my honest and unashamed reply.

"That's what you were thinking when you first met me?" Harry asked, his lip twitching.

"Perhaps," I said, a small smile playing on my lips.

Up at the staff table, Filch was adding chairs. He was wearing a moldy old tailcoat in honor of the occasion. I wasn't entirely surprised to see that he added four chairs, two on either side of Dumbledore's, and sincerely hoped that one of the extra guests wasn't that bumbling fool, Bagman.

"But there are only two extra people," Harry said, confused. "Why's Filch putting out four chairs, who else is coming?"

"Eh?" Ron said absently. He was still staring avidly at Krum, and I aimed a kick at his knee under the table. That got his attention.

When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the Top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the girls from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons girls appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand. I found that I could appreciate that sort of respect and discipline, and wondered why we didn't practice such things at Hogwarts. But as Dumbledore remained standing, a silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests," Dumbledore began, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have the great pleasure of welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The Tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast, I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down and I watched as Karkaroff leaned forward at once, and engaged him in conversation. The golden plates in front of us filled with food, and immediately it was clear that the house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops. There was a much greater variety of dishes in front of us than most of us had ever seen, including several that were certainly foreign. Through my travels with my parents, however, I recognized many of them.

"What's that?" Ron asked, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.

"It's Bouillabaisse," Hermione said quietly, without looking at Ron.

"Bless you," he said blankly.

"No you prat," I laughed, rolling my eyes, "it's a French dish called Bouillabaisse. It's actually very good."

"How'd you know that?" Harry asked, looking over at me.

"My parents and I spent a few summers in France before," I said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"I'll take your word for it," Ron said, helping himself to black pudding.

"I've always wanted to travel the world," said Liz suddenly, and I was surprised at the look of longing on her face. "The twins and I have never been outside of Britain, not even to visit our home country."

Immediately, I began mentally making plans to change that.

The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely thirty additional students there, perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts' robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep blood red. Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast, and slid into his seat at the end, waving at us with a heavily bandaged hand.

"Those bloody skrewts are going to eat him alive," Harry muttered as we waved back. I tensed as I felt the presence of another magical being again, only this time it was standing right behind me.

"Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" a tinkling female voice asked.

Before I even looked up, Liz and I shared another look and she nodded discreetly.

We'd found our mystery being.

Turning around, I saw that it was one of the older girls from Beauxbatons, one that had had a muffler wrapped around her head, which she had removed. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist and she had large, deep blue eyes and very white, even teeth. As I took in her bright airy features, the alluring power radiating from her, and the fact that Ron had not only gone purple, but also was openly gaping at her, making faint gurgling sounds – it wasn't hard to pinpoint what sort of magical being blood she had in her.

"Non, vous pouvez l'avoir," I said politely, pushing the dish toward the girl.

_(No, you can take it.)_

"Vous parlez français?" she asked.

_(You speak French?)_

"Oui," I said simply.

_(Yes.)_

"Votre accent est très bonne. Il semble très authentique," she complimented, flashing a bright grin.

_(Your accent is very good. It sounds rather authentic.)_

"Merci," I said, returning her smile, though it disappeared as Ron began openly drooling, "Je suis désolé, mais votre aura affecte ce garçon, il est un peu épais."

_(Thank you – I am sorry, but your aura is affecting the boy, he's a bit thick.)_

The girl gave a tinkling, musical laugh. "I like you," she decided, "and I apologize for your friend. I am Fleur, and you are?" she asked, extending a neatly manicured hand towards me.

"Giavana Grey," I said, my name rolling off my tongue with a slight accent, as I gently grasped her hand and shook it, "a pleasure to meet you, and these are my friends, Harry, Elizabeth, Hermione, and Neville – and that's Ron," I added, not wanting to bring more attention to his unfortunate condition. After greeting my friends, Fleur thanked me for the dish and returned to the Ravenclaw table with it.

Ron was still goggling at her as though he had never seen a girl before, and Harry finally burst into laughter, startling Ron back to reality. "She's a veela!" he said hoarsely to Harry.

"I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot," Hermione said icily, but she wasn't completely right about that.

As Fleur crossed the Hall, many boys' heads turned and some of them seemed to have become temporarily speechless, just as Ron had – minus the drool.

"Wipe your mouth, Ron, honestly," Liz drawled, wrinkling her nose as drool dripped onto his full plate.

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" Ron insisted, wiping his mouth and leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!"

"They make them perfectly fine at Hogwarts, thanks," Harry said defensively, glancing down at me.

I smiled before aiming another kick at Ron's leg. "Ronald, you are an absolute cad for ogling that poor girl like that. She can't control her aura because she's not a full veela, and she has a name – it's Fleur."

"How do you know?" Ron asked eagerly.

"We just had a full conversation right in front of you, Ronald!" I bit out through clenched teeth, pushing down my urge to shove his face in a bowl of black pudding.

"You were speaking fluent French a moment ago," Hermione asked interestingly, "where did you learn?"

"Most pureblood children are taught a foreign language or two, particularly Latin, as most spells are in that language and it makes pronunciation and understanding of spells easier. And those trips to France helped quite a bit as well," I explained.

When the second course arrived, I noticed a number of familiar and unfamiliar desserts too. I watched as Ron examined a pale blancmange closely, before moving it carefully a few inches to his right, so that it would be clearly visible from the Ravenclaw. To my amusement, Fleur seemed to have eaten enough, however, and did not come over to get the dish, much to Ron's disappointment.

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again and a pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. A thrill of excitement rushed through me as I wondered how the Tournament would start and all that it would entail after hundreds of years. One thing was for certain, however…I just knew that it would be unlike anything most of us had ever seen before. Several seats down from us, Fred and George were leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.

"Your attention please," Dumbledore called, and the Hall immediately fell silent. "I'd like to say a few words… The Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school, a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear," he said gravely, "if chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint of heart. However, Eternal Glory – that is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, the student must survive tasks –extremely dangerous tasks." He paused and his eyes swept over all of us, conveying the seriousness of that statement.

"Wicked," Fred and George breathed.

"To explain all this, we have the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartemius Crouch and Mr. Ludo Bagman."

Scanning the Head Table, my eyes only just rested on our newest guests who had occupied the additional seats that Filch had set up. Ludo Bagman, to my disgust, was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while Mr. Crouch, was next to Madame Maxime. We all applauded politely, and while Bagman acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand, Mr. Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced. It was interesting, however, to see the contrast between Mr. Crouch and Dumbledore, Crouch's toothbrush mustache and sever parting next to Dumbledore's long white hair and beard.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining me, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

At the mention of the word champion, the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen.

"The casket, if you please, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore said politely.

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with shining jewels. It looked incredibly old, but a murmur of excited interest rose from the students.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore said as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be tasks spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways, their magical prowess – their daring – their powers of deductions – and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing. "As you know, typically three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after the final task will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and waved it regally over the top of the casket, and we watched in awe as the golden casket, encrusted with jewels, melted away, revealing a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable if not for the dancing blue-white flames that sprang up a moment later. "The Goblet of Fire…anyone wishing to submit themselves into the Tournament need only write their name and school on a slip of parchment and throw it into the flames before this hour, tomorrow night, Halloween – when the goblet will return the names of the students it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, I will personally be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."

He paused and his expression became grave once more. "I must stress this: do not submit your name lightly…once chosen there's no turning back and as champion, you are obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. As of now, the Triwizard Tournament has begun…goodnight to you all."

"An Age Line!" said Fred, his eyes glinting, as we all made our way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing – it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

"But how do you know if you'll stand a chance?" Hermione asked, "We just haven't learned enough –"

"Speak for yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?"

To my relief, Harry laughed. "Eternal glory…dangerous, possibly life-threatening tasks…all three schools watching your every move…certainly not. No thanks, I think I'll pass," he said firmly.

It's enough worry that Cedric's determined to enter, I didn't need to worry about them both.

But then the twins turned to me, grinning devilishly. "What d'you think, Gia?" they asked.

"I'm with Harry," I shrugged, "I don't need eternal glory, the prize money, or any added danger in my life. But Hermione's right, there's no way that anyone under seventeen is smart enough to enter, no offense," I added quickly at the twins' expressions. "But this is _Dumbledore's_ Age Line we're talking about. He's far from stupid, he knows that you two prats are going to try to enter anyway, and he's ancient – he knows every trick in the book. I'm quite positive he would've thought of something as common as an age potion. Quite frankly, I would've thought that you two could come up with something a little more original."

"Where is he?" Ron asked, having ignored our entire conversation, but was looking through the crowd to see what had become of Viktor. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"

But his question was answered almost instantly.

We were level with the Ravenclaw table now, and I shot a smile at Draco across the crowd as Karkaroff bustled up to his students. "Back to the ship, then," he said. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

I saw Viktor shake his head as he pulled his furs back on, and Karkaroff turned and led his students toward the doors, reaching them at exactly the same moment we did. We stopped to let them walk through first.

"Thank you," Karkaroff said carelessly, glancing at us…and then he froze. He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Behind their headmaster, the Durmstrang males came to a halt too.

Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face and fixed upon his scar, which was visible after I had forced Harry to let me give him a haircut. The Durmstrang boys were staring curiously at Harry too, and as I scanned their faces, I saw comprehension dawn on a few of their faces. One of the boys was even openly pointing at Harry's forehead, nudging the boy beside him.

"Yeah, that's Harry Potter," a growling voice said from behind us.

Professor Karkaroff spun around. Professor Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang headmaster. The color drained from Karkaroff's face, and the harsh scent of fury along with the sweet, enticing scent of fear mingled and permeated the air.

"You!" he said, staring at Moody as though unsure he was really seeing him.

"Me," Moody said grimly, almost darkly amused. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

Looking over my shoulder, I saw that Moody's words were true. Half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind us, looking over one another's shoulders to see what was causing the holdup. Without another word, Karkaroff swept his students away with him, but Viktor broke off from the group and approached me. He bowed deeply to me, in front of everyone, and kissed my hand. "It vos a pleasure to meet you, Giavana, and I look forvard to seeing you around," he said, mindful of his English.

I curtsied rather low, the ends of my long, curling red hair gracing the stone floor, and when I came up, I smiled. "The pleasure was all mine Viktor, have a good night."

"You as vell," he nodded, before sweeping off with the rest of his schoolmates.

After watching them until they disappeared, the crowd gradually dispersed, all whispering. But this time, they were whispering about me and Viktor. As my sensitive hearing picked up on several newly started rumors, many of them slightly offending, I huffed and followed my friends out into the main corridor. I walked with them until we were outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, and then Liz and I bid them goodnight and headed off to East Tower.

Liz bid me goodnight and disappeared into her room. I showered, dressed in pajamas, and climbed into my soft bed, the crackling fire in the fireplace giving off wave after wave of warmth, and I was quickly able to relax. Closing my eyes, I was fast asleep within a few minutes, but troubled by an odd dream of Harry being chosen as the unwilling fourth champion in the Tournament.

"…_Help him_," a cold raspy voice whispered in my ear as my dream faded to black, "_help the boy…or all is lost…including yourself…"_

I jerked awake and bolted up, gasping for breath. My eyes darted around the dark room, lit dimly only by the small embers in the fireplace and the pale rays of moonlight shining in through the open window. My entire body was covered in a slick sheen of sweat, plastering my hair to my face and my pajamas to my body. After several minutes of trying to calm my breathing, I sighed deeply and slid my legs over the side of the bed, letting them dangle a few inches above the warm rug.

Why did that dream seem so real? And that voice…

I inhaled sharply and my head snapped around as I heard something shift behind me. Grabbing my wand off of my nightstand, I slid off my bed and stepped out of the tent-like black lace canopy that surrounded it. Slowly creeping around the other side of the bed, I flinched as a sudden gust of wind blew in through the window and extinguished the last of the fire in the fireplace, plunging me into darkness, the luminescent light from the moon washing over my skin. Even as I felt a surge of power within me, the hair on the back of my neck rose and I tensed as the temperature dropped more and more every second, until I could see my breath come out in little white puffs. Goosebumps rose on my bare skin and I hurried over to the window, and pulled it shut, turning the lock.

"…_help the boy…"_

Cold breath wash over my ear and neck, and I spun around to face the intruder, my heart thundering in my chest…only to see a vague black silhouette dissipate into thin air. But that wasn't what caused my skin to pale and my blood to turn cold…it was the long, thin shape that had flashed silver beside the silhouette.

That looked like…no, it couldn't be – that's impossible! It doesn't exist… No, I'm tired; I must be seeing things – yes, that's it.

My thoughts raced frantically, desperate to come up with an explanation. Brushing my sweaty hair from my face, I only just realized that my hands were shaking and I was absolutely freezing. After thoroughly searching my room, physically and magically, for any traces of an intruder, I lit a new fire in the fireplace and let the warmth wash over me once more. Suddenly, I wished Nova was in the room with me, but I figured she'd either found a nice spot in the common room or had curled up with Liz for the night.

When I finally felt secure enough to return to my bed, I pulled my comforter up to my chin and curled up into a ball, burrowing my head into my pillow.

Help the boy – what boy? Harry? But that was just a dream right? There was no way…

I was just slipping into another restless sleep, when my eyes snapped open and I sat up quickly. The rules of the tournament had been running through my head all day; I had even done some additional research after Dumbledore first announced that we were hosting it. Though I knew that it was impossible – after all, we'd just explained to the Weasley twins why they wouldn't be able to enter – I also knew that, especially with my bloodline, some dreams were just dreams, but others…

If Harry would really somehow be forced to enter the Tournament, he'd be at a severe disadvantage from the other champions.

I bit my lip in silent contemplation.

It was already midnight, and Harry was bound to be sleeping, but if I could help him in anyway, I had to try. Making a decision, I hurriedly climbed back out of bed, and slipped into black sweats, a Weird Sister's sweatshirt, and black trainers. I pulled on a deep black cloak that was emblazoned with my family's crest and let it hang open.

Grabbing my wand and wallet, I shadow-stepped from East Tower to the Gryffindor common room, stepping out into the firelight when I was sure the room was empty. On quick, silent feet, I hurried up to boys' dorm for the first time and entered the main doorway. The hallway was set up identical to the girls' dorm and sure enough, as I approached the fourth door on the left, I read the names Dean Thomas, Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Ronald Weasley, and Seamus Finnegan.

Easing the door open, I was immediately bombarded with a symphony of snores from all around. I slipped past the first bed on the left and glanced down at Neville, a smile tugging at my lips at how peaceful and innocent he looked. Unable to resist, I bent down and lightly kissed my old friend's forehead, watching as he gained a small smile and relaxed even further.

Funnily enough, Harry's bed rested in the same spot as my bed in the girls' dorm. Approaching the drawn curtains that heavily carried his scent, I cast a silencing charm around it. Harry needed more sleep than any of us, especially with the nightmares he'd once told me about, but I had to help him.

Leaning down, I gently shook Harry until his eyes fluttered open. I flicked his nose, and he quickly shook the sleepy haze away, and looked at me in confusion.

"Gia," he whispered, "What are you doing in here? And why are you fully dressed?"

"We –"

"Shh, don't wake them!" Harry whispered urgently. I rolled my eyes.

"Silencing charm, obviously," I drawled, raising an eyebrow. Harry flushed. "Anyway, we have some long overdue business to attend to. Get dressed so we can get this over with."

He raised an eyebrow in return, but upon seeing how serious I was, he obeyed, hurrying to pull on his school uniforms. I was seriously going to have to take him shopping, perhaps that weekend. When he was done, I grabbed his hand. We were close, staring into each other's eyes.

"Harry, do you trust me?" I asked suddenly, gazing calmly at his face.

"Of course," he said immediately, still confused.

"I'm not sure exactly what we'll find at the end of this rabbit hole," Harry snorted at the muggle reference "But I know that there are things you need to know, tools you need to have, and I'm going to make sure you get both, okay?"

He reached up and caressed my check in a similar fashion to how Draco used to. The only difference was… when Harry touched me like that, I felt like I could melt into the floor or float away, and I'd be just happy with that.

"I trust you," he repeated firmly, running the pad of his thumb over the curve of my cheek. "If it was important enough for you to wake me up out of my sleep, then let's do this."

Without another word, I pulled him into a tight hug and felt his strong arms go around my waist. I wished, for a brief second, that we could stay in that position, but we had work to do. Very easily, I slipped through the shadows from Hogwarts Castle, and came out on the white stone steps in front of our destination.

"Here we are."

Harry looked gobsmacked. He stared from me to the very familiar building in utter confusion. Slowly, he calmed down and we let go off each other.

"Why are we at Gringotts in the middle of the night?" asked Harry, allowing himself to be led up the front steps and through both sets of doors.

"You'll see."

Tugging his hand, I pulled Harry up to the long counter where dozens of goblets were still hard at work. I approached my favorite and most familiar goblin, and respectfully bowed my head low. In my peripheral, I watched Harry quickly copy the gesture.

The goblin bowed back, and showed off a very sharp-toothed grin.

"Ah, Miss Grey, what brings you here at this hour? I'm used to the odd hours you keep… but I can't imagine Dumbledore allowing this trip," said Gnarlkin, my own account manager, inquiringly.

"You're well aware that as Head of my family, I may come and go as I please," I replied coolly, "But we're not here for me anyway. This," I gestured to Harry, "is about my friend, Harry Potter."

Suddenly, Gnarlkin looked much more interested. I was certain that he'd done some digging into Harry's background after I wrote to him, and judging from the intense look of curiosity upon his face, I knew he'd found something big.

"Mr. Potter," Gnarlkin said slowly, well aware that he was making the boy uncomfortable with his intent stare, "I must say that I've been looking forward to this meeting since Lady Grey here inquired about you."

Harry shot me a quick look.

"I'm still not entirely clear on what's going on," he admitted honestly, raking his hand through his hair, frustrated. "Gia mentioned some things about family vaults?"

Gnarlkin interest turned to dark amusement. "One of many things that will be discussed with you. Thornwall!" he barked suddenly.

Immediately, a goblin clerk from about ten seats down hopped down from his seat behind the counter and reported to Gnarlkin. "Lord Gnarlkin," said Thornwall respectfully, kneeling.

"Escort Mr. Potter here –" though he clearly wanted to, Thornwall refrained from staring at Harry, "to Ragnor's office. He's expecting him."

"Yes, my lord. Potter, with me!" Thornwall ordered, waving his long-fingered hand impatiently.

"Go on, then," I said, shoving Harry's shoulder.

"You're not coming?" he asked, almost panicked.

"Of course not," I almost snorted, but remembered that Harry had no idea how all of this worked. "It's a personal matter of your family, Harry. It's not my place to be present, but if you'd like, you can tell me about it afterwards."

Harry sighed deeply, but resigned to his fate, he nodded bracingly and allowed himself to be led down to the end of the counter and through a doorway that I knew led to a maze of hallways. I watched them disappeared, my mind already racing with questions and possible theories.

"This isn't going to end well," said Gnarlkin, looking down at me over the counter.

"Thanks Gnarlkin, that's exactly what I wanted to hear," was my sarcastic reply.

"Oh not for you or Mr. Potter," he grinned darkly, his sharp teeth gleaming in the low lobby lighting, "For everyone else."

"We can only wait and see," I said solemnly, "Have you discovered any new information pertaining to whoever's been lurking around my house?"

"Unfortunately we have not," he began, but at my baleful glare, he continued, "However, I would like to suggest a more… hands on approach."

"I'm listening."

"With your permission, I would recommend commissioning a team of my finest warriors, trained specifically in the art of espionage," suggested Gnarlkin, his voice lowering considerably.

I raised an eyebrow, even as possibilities immediately bloomed before my eyes. "You want me to hire spies to spy on my spy?" I rephrased clearly, ensuring that I fully understood what he was saying.

"Well, there isn't much information to be gleamed from simply monitoring wards," he said, steeping his fingers before him.

"You're right about that," I muttered, sighing as deeply as Harry had a little while ago. "Very well, withdraw the funds directly from my account. I want a full, detailed file on each chosen warrior to approve. And," I paused, shaking off the anticipation and apprehension warring in my gut, "If this mystery lurker is apprehended, I want to be immediately notified. You will hold him – or her – until I am able to take over custody of my prisoner. I want them _alive_."

"Going to do a little interrogation, are you?" Gnarlkin smiled nastily. "Taking a page from your father's book?"

"Just keep me informed. I'll be waiting for those files."

Upon receiving an affirmative nod from Gnarlkin, I bowed my head and strolled along the counter, turning the corner and entering the same hall Harry had been led down. Rather than enter the maze of hallways and offices, I went through the first doorway to the left, entering a moderately sized sitting room where the more wealthy clients could await their account managers. Waving off the house-elf that offered snacks and refreshments, I reclined in the chair in the furthest corner from the door and settled in. As I relaxed, intent on sorting through my thoughts and memories to make sense of this whole mess, my eyes clouded over and a very different image bloomed before me.

_It was Harry, again… and the strange images felt oddly similar to the dream I'd had hours ago. This time, however, Harry wasn't in the Great Hall, he was pacing back and forth in what I recognized as an account manager's office._

_He looked absolutely pissed._

_It was interesting to watch, truly. Even when he'd been upset at the thought of Sirius returning to the area, he hadn't exuded such raw power – his green eyes were blazing and even through the vision, I could feel that deadly cracking in the air around him._

"_He knew?" Harry snapped, his hair and shirt billowing with the force of the magic swirling around him. "That – that –" it seemed he couldn't even find a word scathing enough, "He knew about the Dursleys and – and he did nothing? He left me there?"_

"_It would appear so, Mr. Potter," was Ragnor's wary but calm reply. He was seated behind his desk, but judging by the barely visible multi-colored shimmer in front of him, I was sure he'd erected some sort of barrier to protect him in case Harry's magic got out of control._

"_Not only that but – but he knew – he knew about all of my vaults, all of my parents' possessions?"_

Ragnor's voice faded away as the image did and soon, I was looking at the waiting room again.

"I'd bet my broomstick he's talking about Dumbledore," I said, though silence in the empty room was my only answer. I sighed and shook my head, crossing one leg over the other. "I have a feeling this is only the beginning."

Checking the time, I saw that it was already nearing one in the morning. Luckily, it was the weekend and we didn't have to report to class in the morning. It was another thirty minutes or so before Thornwall ushered Harry into the waiting room, keeping at least three feet of space between them.

Immediately jumping to my feet, I went to grab Harry's hand –

"Bloody –" I hissed, snatching my hand back as a harsh jolt shot through my arm. I couldn't hear any crackling around him, but there seemed to be an invisible current running along his skin.

"Sorry," said Harry emotionlessly, dropping into a seat.

"My lady –"

"I'm fine, Thornwall," I said through clenched teeth, even as the tingle of healing magic went up my arm. When I'd gathered myself, I addressed the young goblin, "Has Ragnor concluded his business with Harry?"

"Yes, my lady," he hesitated, his nervous eyes flicking to Harry's prone form and back to me, "But he has requested that Mr. Potter r-return at his earliest convenience for the unsealing of the Potter will –"

I flinched as a violent crackle of lightning slashed through the air.

Abandoning all pretenses, Thornwall paled as much as his green skin could and hurried from the room.

"Harry…" I said slowly, turning back to my friend. His eyes were cold and distant, and he didn't say anything as he sat there. I'd hardly stepped within three feet of him when I felt the wave of energy blowing off his skin. "Harry, you want to go back to Hogwarts right? Are you ready to leave?" I asked softly, as if negotiating with a wild animal.

His eyes slowly slid to mine – they were that same deadly pale shade of green that they'd been in Moody's first lesson. "Yes," he said simply, his voice oddly deep.

I attempted a small smile and lowered myself to kneel before him, moving at a snail's pace. I wasn't sure if his magic would lash out at any sudden movements. "Harry…" slowly again, "You have to calm down, okay?"

Another loud crack of lightning.

"I can't – I can't shadow us back to Hogwarts if I can't touch you, love," I said softly, nearly a whisper.

"I can't…" his voice was strained, and his eyes began to flicker between colors again.

"You can, Harry," I insisted, trying my best to meet his eyes. I could sense the maelstrom of emotions warring inside of him and I wanted nothing more than to pull him into a tight hug and never let go, but I was not interested in getting shocked again.

That shit hurts.

"Come on, love – slow, deep breaths, okay?" I coached, as soothingly as possible. "In… and out… In – that's good – and out…"

After thirty long seconds, I felt the crackling begin to dissipate. Apprehensively, I held out a hand over Harry's, and though I could still feel the current running along his skin, he'd be better off at Hogwarts than destroying half of Gringotts.

That certainly wouldn't help wizard-goblin relations.

Gritting my teeth and steeling myself, I gathered the shadows around us first and just as they would've enveloped me, I grabbed Harry's hand and we disappeared.

"Shit – shit – shit – shit – SHIT!" I growled, hopping from one foot to the other and waving my shaking, trembling hand even as my healing began kicking in.

It seemed that being sucked through time and space had shocked Harry out of whatever state he'd been in because he was hovering near me worriedly. "Oh Merlin Gia, I'm so sorry! I was trying so hard to calm down but I couldn't! I didn't mean to. I'm so –"

"Shh!" I hissed; his mouth snapped shut as I cradled my hand. About thirty more seconds later, and I was perfectly fine.

"Maybe I should be left with the Dursleys," muttered Harry sadly, dropping into the chaise lounge, "At least I won't be around to hurt anybody else I care about."

"Don't you start," I warned, pointing a stern finger at him. "Harry…" I sighed, delicately sitting beside him, "I wanted to tell you this ages ago, but – but I think you're a lightning elemental."

"A what?"

"A lightning elemental," I repeated slowly.

"Yes, but what is an elemental," he said insistently.

Standing up, I took a deep breath and held out my hands, pulling up images of what I wanted in mind and willing it through my magic. Almost immediately, shadowy wisps began to rise from the dark floor and circle me, growing and growing until I had a small, gently swirling cyclone of shadows surrounding my body. Harry watched on in awed fascination.

"I'm still not certain where my powers came from," I began, dropping my hands and watching the shadows vanish with the motion. "Powers like elementals are usually inherited, but there's no documented history of anyone in either bloodline with shadow magic. An elemental, though it should be explanatory, is someone born with the ability to manipulate a specific element. They were much more common centuries ago, before wizards began to use wands to focus their magic and simply worked with magic in its raw form. Over the years, the ability has been filtered out and gone nearly extinct. Nowadays, elementals of any kind are pretty rare."

Harry seemed to ponder this new information. "So…" he said carefully, "You're a shadow…elemental? You can control shadows? Is that how you're able to travel from one place to another? And how you controlled my body that one time?"

"Yes, precisely."

"And you think that I'm a lightning elemental?" he continued, almost disbelievingly.

"There would be no other explanation for the powers you've been manifesting," I said, shrugging and reclaiming my seat beside him. "I suspected as much when you had your growth spurt, but I wanted to observe you a bit longer before I said anything."

"But – but how? I've never heard anyone mention my father having these powers," said Harry, still clearly unconvinced. "And everyone knows my mother is muggleborn."

"Yes…" I conceded slowly, "But magic doesn't just appear on its own, Harry. It, like other rare powers and abilities, are typically inherited, even if not directly by parents. And I've heard that Lily Potter was a very strong and smart witch – it's very possible that somewhere further up the line, there was a witch or wizard in the family. It's certainly worth looking into – you may find relatives in the wizarding world that you never even knew about."

"I suppose I never would've thought of that." Harry took a moment to seemingly gather himself. "Do you really think I could learn to control lightning? That seems like an awfully…volatile power. I mean, you've seen me, Gia! Every time I get angry, I lose control of myself. I risk hurting someone."

I made him look me in the eye. "And that's why I'm going to do my best to help you learn to control it, Harry, the same way that I had to learn to control my powers." I laughed at the blatant skepticism on his face. "Oh, believe me, Harry, it took a long time to gain this kind of control over my powers. Even now, there are still moments when I slip – even times when I discover something new that I can do with my powers. This is a _good_ thing, Harry!" I insisted, almost excited at the thought of all Harry could learn to do, "You'll be the first lightning elemental in decades – centuries even! This could be the biggest advantage imaginable, especially with the dangers you always seem to find yourself in."

"That's a good point," said Harry, finally relaxing a bit. "You'll really help me?"

"Every step of the way," I said, smiling reassuringly. "But that's a problem for tomorrow –"

Immediately, Harry's expression changed – it went from hopeful contemplation to anger in a split second. "Dumbledore…"

I knew it.

"What about Dumbledore, Harry?" I asked, cautiously reaching out a hand and placing it on his leg. To my utter relief, he didn't shock me.

"He knew…about everything – about the Dursleys and how they treated me. He was my magical guardian, Gia," said Harry, looking at me through eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. "I've always trusted Dumbledore… always did anything he asked of me, even when it didn't make sense. I just don't understand…"

"Understand what?"

"Why he would leave me there knowing what they were like! Why he'd taken me there after my parents were killed in the first place. Why he never came back for me – never told me who I really was or what I was. I didn't even know I was a wizard until Hagrid came to get me and take me to Diagon Alley before first year."

I refrained from commenting, though I felt the beginnings of a low growl begin deep in my chest. Taking a deep breath, I forced it down. I didn't want to scare Harry into silence when he was finally opening up more to me.

"You were right," Harry laughed without humor, "About having more than the trust vault. Turns out I'm actually fairly rich – the Dursleys would shit themselves if they knew how much money lies in my accounts – and there are quite a few of them. There is the main Potter family vault – Ragnor said its ancient, one of the first accounts opened back when Gringotts was founded – like yours. He told me that my father did have his own trust vault that he used for his personal expenses while he was here at Hogwarts. I didn't expect much from my mother, but apparently she had her own personal vault as well."

"But that's a good thing, right? I'm sure there's loads of personal stuff in their vaults. You have the chance to learn so much more about them than what other people can tell you."

"You're right, but that's not the kicker," he replied, almost sarcastically. "Apparently, Dumbledore also took it upon himself to have my parents' will sealed for whatever reason. That's why I've never been told about any of that Lord stuff you were talking about. Without my parents' final wishes, Dumbledore hiding me away from the wizarding world, and his influence as my magical guardian, the goblins couldn't do much for me until now."

"So what did Ragnor say about it all? What's next?" I asked, thoughts of vengeance against the old coot already flitting through my mind.

"He wants me to come back soon – when I'm ready – to unseal and read their will. He's certain they've left mostly everything to me, including the title of Lord Potter. He said there were some properties under the Potter name, other than the house they'd died in though I'm not sure I'd ever be interested in going back there anyway. I'd like to visit the others houses though, who knows what I'll find after all this time."

Thinking back on my own family history and the mark we'd left on the world, I knew that Harry would find loads and loads of interesting things about the Potters. Though I certainly enjoyed the privileges that came with being a prominent pureblood, status had never mattered to me as much as it did other family lines. However, the thought of Harry being Lord of an ancient and powerful line like the Potters…well, it was certainly an enticing one.

"Oh Harry, it's going to be great!" I squealed, suddenly unable to contain my excitement. "You'll get to do so many things because you'll pretty much be a legal adult once you become Lord Potter!"

"One thing at a time, Gia," said Harry tiredly, yawning harshly. "Can we – will you take me back to Gringotts tomorrow? I want to get all of this over with so I can move on with my life."

"Absolutely, I wanted to run some errands with you tomorrow anyway," I complied immediately.

"Errands?"

"No offense, Harry," I started delicately, "and I know why, but you're in desperate need of new clothes. At least clothes that actually fit."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't—"

"Harry," I said, cutting him off, "I know you have enough money to buy whatever you want. What's wrong in looking decent? As of tomorrow, you'll be Lord Potter and I'll be damned if you don't look the part. Besides, think of the fit Draco will throw when he finds out."

That certainly put a mischievous smile on Harry's face. "Fine, fine, fine – I know you'll never give me a moment of peace until I agree anyway," he groaned, rising to his feet.

"You know me so well – wait, where are you going?" I said quickly as he slowly started for the door.

He looked confused. "Back to Gryffindor Tower?" he said.

"Oh…" I looked down, "I was kind of hoping you'd stay up here with me tonight."

Almost instantly, Harry flushed brilliantly and I laughed, standing up again. "I promise I won't have my wicked way with you, Harry. Really, it's fine."

Looking incredibly nervous and uncomfortable, Harry walked back over to me, and stood there, fidgeting. I huffed. "Honestly, it's not like I have the cooties."

Finally pulling off my cloak, I banished it back into my closet and walked around to my preferred side of the bed. I kicked off my trainers and started to pull my sweatshirt over my head when Harry made an odd noise. I looked up and saw that he was staring dutifully at the floor, his face as bright as my hair. I walked over to him, and took his hands in mine, waiting until he looked me in the eye.

"What's wrong, Harry? Am I not attractive?" I asked seriously, trying not to laugh at the horror in his eyes.

"N-no – wait! I mean y-yes, I –" Harry stammered. I laughed and kissed his cheek lightly.

"I'm just messing with you, Harry, but seriously, it's not like we're about to shag. We're just going to sleep, okay? There's plenty of room," I gestured to the enormous bed, "We don't even have to touch."

Taking a deep breath, Harry slowly took off his own robe, and began unbuttoning his shirt. Satisfied, I pulled my sweatshirt over my head and tossed it carelessly on the floor, before dropping my sweats, and stood there clad in my sports bra and short, spandex shorts. Harry's breathing quickened, and his eyes raked over my body. I also noticed his hands shaking as he tried to undo his buttons.

Finding it all very hilarious, I approached him again and slapped his hands away, unbuttoning his shirt for him. I caressed his toned chest and shoulders as I pushed his shirt off. I felt Harry shiver at my touch, and his eyes closed pleasurably. He kicked off his shoes and undid his pants, letting them fall to the floor. He was now only in black boxers, which I transfigured into basketball shorts, and socks. Silently, I rested my head on Harry's warm chest, and relaxed as he wrapped his arms around me. Everywhere our skin touched, it burned pleasantly, and we stood like that, our eyes closed, for several long minutes. Finally, I sighed and pulled away. I climbed into bed and held open the comforter for Harry, who hesitated for a split second before climbing in and groaning happily as he sunk into the mattress.

"If the beds in the boys' dorm felt like this, I'd never get up for class," he whispered into the darkness.

Waving my hand, a fire sprang up in the fireplace and I pulled the comforter up to our shoulders. Turning away from Harry, I felt him pause before he scooted forward until my back was pressed against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. I closed my eyes – I hadn't felt so safe and cozy in a long while, even with Liz around – and within minutes, we were both sound asleep.


	12. Halloween

**A/N: I have found that I don't like to include author's notes, but I did want to point out that I don't know much French, other than the very little I retained from school. All French and translations are from google translate – if there are any mistakes, please let me know.**

**Chapter 12**

On Halloween morning, as the sun rose I felt its heat on my back, but I was so comfortable, I didn't even care. My face was buried in something soft, warm, and very clean smelling – something that reminded me strongly of one of my best friends, Harry. As the thought crossed my mind, I remembered the night before and peeked my eyes open. My face was, in fact, buried in the crook of Harry's neck. We'd apparently shifted in the night and I was now halfway sprawled across his body, his arm still firmly around my waist. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was still asleep. Summoning my wand, I checked the time. It was only seven in the morning. Snuggling deeper into Harry, I immediately fell back asleep.

The next time I awoke, I still felt the warmth of the sun but I also felt Harry tracing lazy circles on my back. His face was buried in my hair, and I was very reluctant to get up. When Harry spoke, I felt the rumble in his chest.

"Ron and Hermione will be wondering where I am," he said softly, though he made no move to get up.

I groaned. "It's the weekend, can't we sleep in?"

Harry snorted. "It's already ten, Gia, we've slept in plenty."

"They'll know you're with me," I countered sleepily.

"Don't we have things to do today?" he asked, very much amused.

Sighing very deeply and dramatically, I rolled out of Harry's arms and out of bed. Stretching, I saw Harry eyeing my body longingly, no doubt wishing he had kept me in bed. I stuck my tongue out at him, and padded into the bathroom. Going through my daily routine, I emerged thirty minutes later wrapped in a fluffy, black towel. My hair still dripped slightly, and when Harry laid eyes on my partially naked body, his widened comically.

"Your turn," I said, walking over to my closet.

"I don't have any other clothes with me," Harry pointed out. He stood up and stretched, and I couldn't resist taking in his Quidditch toned body. The training I had been putting him through the past two months had also done wonders for him.

"I'll conjure you some for the day, since we're going shopping anyway." I saw his face and shrugged. "There's no stopping me Harry, you know that. So, take your pretty little arse into the shower and I'll have some clothes ready when you come out."

Sighing loudly, Harry went into the bathroom. While he washed, I pondered and conjured him briefs, boot-cut pants, boots, and a tight, long-sleeved sweater – all black. When Harry emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, only a towel wrapped around his waist, I had to resist staring too hard.

As he dressed in the outfit I had chosen for him, I donned a long-sleeved, tight crop-sweater, a plaid skirt, and knee-high stockings with black trainers – all black as well. Magically drying my hair, I strapped my wand in its usual place, and grabbed my purse and the cloak I'd worn the night before. Standing side by side in the mirror, I had to admit that we looked good together in our matching outfits, a fact that did not elude Harry's attention. He seemed pretty pleased as well, in fact, and slipped an arm around my waist, pulling me close to his side.

"What's with all the black?" He asked curiously.

"I was thinking…" I hesitated before continuing delicately, "I was thinking we could honor your parents today. It's pureblood tradition to wear all black as a sign of mourning after a family member dies, or on anniversary dates, like today."

Harry seemed incredibly touched and pulled me into a tight hug, kissing my forehead about ten times. "I think it's fitting, honestly… Halloween was the day when my whole life fell apart back then, but today…it's the day that I can start putting the pieces back together."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

"Alright Harry, are you ready to become a Lord?" I asked solemnly, struggling to keep a straight face.

"I'm ready to have control over my own life," he said firmly.

I almost felt sad knowing – or at least, suspecting – what would happen later that night. I very briefly considered telling Harry about my precognitive dream the night before, which had prompted our trip to Gringotts, but it wasn't set in stone and I didn't want to scare him unnecessarily. Reaching out to grab his hand, we were in the same waiting room inside of Gringotts soon enough. There must've been some sort of ward or alert triggered because within seconds, a house-elf had popped in to offer tea or coffee – we declined both. We didn't have to wait long before Thornwall came to retrieve Harry, but he refused to go anywhere unless I joined him – so we made the short but incredibly confusing walk to Ragnor's office together.

"Mr. Potter, Lady Grey, I trust you are both ready to proceed with yesterday's business?" said Ragnor the moment we took our seats before his rather grand oak desk.

"Yes."

"Absolutely."

"Very well," he said, almost tiredly, as if he'd been up all night. "Before we begin, allow me to be the first to sincerely apologize on behalf of the entire Goblin Nation for the gross wrongs and oversights that have been committed against you. You've not only been kept ignorant of your heritage and birthright, but you've been deliberately misled by those that were supposed to care for you."

Harry shifted uncomfortably but sat up a bit straighter, keeping hold of my hand for support and grounding. "I appreciate that, Ragnor, as well as all of your help in getting me through this."

"We should've never gotten to this place to begin with," said Ragnor; he was clearly quite upset at something or someone, "But now that we've done more digging and we know everything, we can begin to correct these transgressions."

Receiving a nod from Harry, Ragnar got down from his chair and walked over to what looked like a normal file cabinet. It wasn't until he pulled one drawer…and it just kept going and going that I realized it was enchanted. He flipped past several files before pulling out an incredibly thick one, and I recognized the crest of House Potter on the front. Kicking the drawer shut, he came back to the desk, dropped the file on top, and sat back in his chair.

"Seeing as you know next to nothing about your own family, we'll start with that," Ragnor said, opening the folder.

Inside must've been hundreds and hundreds of papers, parchments and photos. He pulled two off of the inside of the folder, where they had been magically stuck, and slid it across the desk.

Harry's skin warmed considerably and though I became understandably wary, he didn't shock me. His fingers did shake a bit, however, as he leaned forward and picked up the pictures, releasing my hand for the moment.

They were two professional photos taken years ago, one for each of Harry's parents. I'd seen pictures in old newspaper articles, books, and magazines, but it was very different to see them smiling in color. James Potter's photo was on top and the first thing I noticed, as most people did, was that Harry did favor him remarkably – it was almost scary. Harry even had the same lopsided grin as his father, but whereas his father's had a cocky upturn to it, Harry's was a bit more reserved. James was incredibly handsome with his windswept black hair, aristocratic features, bright smile, and hazel eyes that hid behind glasses that must've been in style years ago. In the picture, he seemed to be eighteen or nineteen years old, just out of Hogwarts.

"That's the year he entered the Auror program," said Ragnor quietly.

Harry's eyes snapped to Ragnor. "No one ever told me my father was an Auror."

"He never had the opportunity to finish training. The war had progressed fairly quickly around that time, and I believe he and your mother had forgone careers for the moment in favor of fighting against dark forces. And of course, they were full-time new parents," was Ragnor's calm explanation.

Rather than respond, it seemed Harry took the time to gather his thoughts by shuffling to his mother's photo. It was immediately evident why James Potter had been crazy about her – she was stunning. Fiery red hair…and those damn emerald eyes that she'd passed on to her son – the eyes that I could stare into for a lifetime. She had a small, almost mischievous smile on her lips as she looked at whoever had taken the picture.

"Merlin, she's gorgeous," I breathed, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the picture.

"She is," said Harry quietly, reaching over to hold my hand again. "May I keep these?"

"Please do," Ragnor waved his hand carelessly.

"Now, on to business – your father was James Charlus Potter – heir and then Head and Lord of the Most Ancient and Honorable House of Potter," Ragnor started, pausing to make sure Harry was paying close attention. "Your paternal grandfather was Charlus Arnold Potter, who was Head and Lord of the Potter family before James. Your grandfather married Dorea Black –"

"Black, as in, Sirius Black?" asked Harry, though he already knew the answer. I suppose he was seeing what else he could get out of Ragnor about his godfather. Anything could help at this point, especially if we were going to get him freed and help Draco.

"They are somewhat related, yes," Ragnor said slowly. "All purebloods are related to each other – no matter how distant. Too much inbreeding," he added.

"Meaning that, however distantly, I am related to Sirius Black?"

Ragnor hesitated before saying a simple, "Yes."

What was he so apprehensive about? His demeanor had changed the moment Harry mentioned Sirius.

"Hmm…" Harry hummed thoughtfully.

"Anyway, your grandfather married Dorea Black and together they had one son – your father, James Potter. Your grandparents were older than some when they had James, and they both died of dragonpox within days of each other around the end of James's fifth year at Hogwarts," Ragnor paused, and took a sip of his tea. "Now, you were born to an ancient and rather prominent pureblood family, and being the only heir to the line, this technically makes you a pureblood in the eyes of the wizarding world, despite your mother's lineage. Being the only heir, you are first in line to become Lord Potter, and Head of the Most Ancient and Honorable House of Potter. Although, there have certainly been enough claims to the title since the death of your parents."

"Who tried to claim Head of Harry's family?" I asked quickly, breaking my self-imposed silence.

Ragnor sneered at the thought. "There's a whole list if you'd like to see it. No matter how fragile or ridiculous the claim, some will try anything…"

Shaking my head, the goblin lord continued running down the information in Harry's file.

"Once you become Lord Potter, you will officially be emancipated. You will be required to familiarize yourself with the proceedings of the Wizengamot so that you may officially take up your family's seat there." There was a look of disdain upon his face. "I believe Albus Dumbledore has been casting your family's votes on your behalf, as your magical guardian. If there are any votes that contrast with you or your family's ideals, we will be able to review and revoke them at a later date."

"Understood," said Harry, seemingly taking this information dump in stride.

"As Lord Potter, you will receive the Potter signet ring, which will display your status as Lord and an emancipated minor. You'll also be able to use it to sign important documents and correspondence. Depending on the family, it may also be a portkey to your family's ancestral manor. If you were unaware, the Wizengamot is the wizarding equivalent of the muggle parliament. With that seat, you will be able to cast your vote on various things: bills, laws, suggestions, sentencing, elections, etc. Other pureblood heirs have been attending meetings for years, and most of them, if not all, go to Hogwarts or have already graduated. For example, the Malfoy, Bones, and Greengrass families have children that attend meetings."

"I feel like I've missed out on so much by being stuck in the muggle world," Harry muttered, leaning back in his chair.

"You know I'll get you all caught up, Harry," I reassured him firmly, squeezing his hand.

"Over the course of your childhood, your magical guardian should've been teaching you this information – or at least, provided a tutor to do the job for him. Forgive me, Mr. Potter, but it doesn't look good for an heir to a powerful family to be ignorant of simple laws and traditions."

"Agreed," said Harry shortly, "So what sort of things should I have been learning?"

"The basics: Math, Reading, Writing, and History of the Magical world…and then other things depend on the family. Most have tutors teach their children to speak quite a few different languages, their cultures, reading and writing in those languages. Also, heirs are typically taught financial handling, personal family history, basic magic, dancing, a musical instrument or two, and proper etiquette in all things: greetings, hosting, eating, drinking, everything. Most, if not all, pureblood families are extremely strict about their children performing a faux pas in public."

Harry looked confused.

"It's French, meaning an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in social situations," I explained automatically, having had one too many lessons myself growing up. "Trust me, Harry – you dodged a bullet with those cotillion classes."

"From what you told me yesterday, Mr. Potter, it seems you performed one on your very first train ride to Hogwarts, with the Malfoy heir."

"Huh?" I asked, turning to look at Harry. Neither he nor Draco had ever told me what caused their rivalry in the first place.

"I'll tell you about it later," said Harry quickly, "but I suppose that explains why he first began hating me back then."

"Yes, it is possible the Malfoy boy believed that you were knowledgeable about what you were doing and purposely slighted him," Ragnor agreed.

Harry groaned dramatically, drawing out a look of confused amusement from Ragnor. "I guess that means I have to officially apologize for that," Harry sighed deeply, ignoring my own amused expressions. "Is there a proper way to apologize to someone you've offended?"

"Yes, there are several ways. This is also something you would've learned during etiquette lessons," said Ragnor.

"You know the one thing that would go farther than any letter or cheesy gift, Harry," I said vaguely, reminding him of our task. His eyes widened in remembrance, and he nodded determinedly. "But don't worry about all of the prissy, pureblood stuff, Harry – I'll personally tutor you myself and get you caught up."

"Thanks, love," Harry murmured, kissing the side of my head, before gesturing for Ragnor to continue.

"There are a few perks to being Lord Potter," Ragnor began, smiling slightly, unnerving as it was to watch. "Outside of age-restricted laws, such as drinking, you will have all of the rights and freedoms of an adult. In fact, you may even request private quarters at Hogwarts if you wished to."

"Really?" Harry sat up straight, clearly interested in this bit of information. "I could move out of the Gryffindor dorms?"

"Yes, of course. It may even be necessary, if you wished to have a private and secure space to handle family affairs whilst at Hogwarts."

"Reckon there's another East Tower hidden in the castle?" Harry asked, grinning down at me.

I shrugged lightly. "You could always just move up there with me like Liz did – there's more than enough space." Suddenly, a slight smirk appeared. "Unless you'd rather move into the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Now, due to his blatant and gross neglect and mishandling of your affairs, Albus Dumbledore has forfeited his position as your magical guardian. I must warn you, however, that he will be notified once all of these changes take place."

"Is there a way to hold off on letting Dumbledore know he's been canned?" Harry asked abruptly, playfully nudging my shoulder at my snort.

Ragnor showed all of his teeth now. Bloody frightening, it was. "I suppose the paperwork was temporarily misplaced…"

I'd have to think of a suitable gesture of friendship for the goblins of Gringotts.

"I'm going to be the biggest pain in the arse that old man has ever had," promised Harry darkly and quietly. "I still don't want to think that he did all of this maliciously, but I've blindly trusted him for too long. He's old – imperfect, and clearly misguided. I'm just going to have to… forcefully remind him that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Another perk of being a legal adult is that you won't have to return to your relatives' home in the muggle world – unless it's your wish, of course."

Harry scoffed at the very thought.

"You have an extensive list of properties to choose from whenever ready. If you would like to buy a new one, Gringotts can put you in contact with an excellent realtor."

"Thank you, Ragnor. What's next?"

"Your assets," replied Ragnor, swiftly sorting through the folder and pulling out a thick packet of papers.

On them were impossibly long lists: lists of vaults and the full inventory of each one; lists of properties and businesses his family owned; lists of arrangements or contracts the Potter held with other families; lists of official feuds against other families; lists of blood bonds and alliances with other families, etc.

"Wait just a minute," Harry gasped, staring down at the last page. He leaned forward and slapped it on the desk. "That has to be a mistake, right?"

Ragnor glanced at the document in question before peering up at us. "Actually, Mr, Potter, this information is indeed Potters are widely known to be descended from Godric Gryffindor himself – there is a blood test we can perform if you would like to know if you are the next heir."

"Harry!" I squealed, unable to contain my awe and excitement. "Harry James Potter, Heir to Godric bloody Gryffindor. Draco would literally throw himself from the Astronomy Tower."

Though he grinned at the image, Harry shook his head and pushed the document further away from him. "As entertaining as that would be to watch, I'll pass for now. Now, it says here that I'm to inherit several other vaults beyond the Potter family vault? I'm assuming these refer to the vaults my parents used while in school?"

"Yes, though there have been several bloodlines that were dying out around the time the last war ended, a few of these Lords have named you heir to their estates," replied Gnarlkin.

"Really?" I asked, unable to help myself. "People that were completely unrelated to Harry have made him heir to their bloodlines?"

"That is correct. There should be a list of them somewhere in that packet, though you may refuse if you wish, Mr. Potter," explained the goblin Lord. "There is also an additional vault in your name for all of the money, gifts, and letters that have been sent to 'the Boy-Who-Lived'," he sneered at the title, "over the years since the last war."

"That, I'm not surprised about," I said curiously, grinning at Harry's annoyed expression. "I'd been wondering why you don't get pelted with fan mail. I suppose it's all being redirected to the vault."

"Why is the Black family vault also listed?" asked Harry suddenly.

My eyebrows shot up.

Harry seemed to have noticed Ragnor's hesitation because he leaned forward. "Being completely honest, Ragnor, I am well aware that Sirius Black is my godfather."

Ragnor breathed a visible sigh of relief. "I admit I wasn't sure how you'd take that information, given the _perceived_ history…"

Impossible as it was, it seemed that Ragnor new the truth about Sirius and his innocence.

"I know that Sirius didn't kill those people and that he wasn't a – a Death Eater," said Harry disdainfully at the thought, "but why is the Black vault under my inheritance?"

"Although Sirius Black has not officially taken up position as Head of House Black, he is the last direct and oldest male heir," Ragnor explained thoughtfully. "Around the time your parents brought in their will, Black did the same. I suppose he either didn't plan on having children of his own, or he didn't think he'd live long enough to get the chance. If we have the most recent copy, I believe Black planned to leave everything – the title, the vaults, all of it – to you, Mr. Potter."

"That nutter…" Harry muttered, though the love was clear in his voice. "But I can't be Lord Potter and Lord Black, can I?"

"Lord Black-Potter," corrected Ragnor, "A rare and unusual circumstance, but not impossible or unheard of."

Though the plan was still to get Sirius to agree to help Draco and help them both get their freedom, at least I had the reassurance that, should the worse come to pass, Harry would have the power to save Draco on his own.

"Hypothetically," I started slowly, meeting Ragnor's amused gaze, "If Sirius Black were to walk into Gringotts and request the execution of his parents' will or to undergo the proper ceremony to become Lord Black, would the Ministry be able to do anything about it?"

"Hypothetically," Ragnor repeated, "If something like that were to happen, the Ministry would be powerless to prevent it because they have no jurisdiction within these walls. However, the moment Black steps foot out of those doors, his asylum status vanishes and the Aurors will undoubtedly bring in anyone openly associated with Black in for questioning on his whereabouts."

This goblin needed a bloody raise.

"Is there anything else I should know before we do this?" Harry asked, almost impatiently, though not impolitely.

"It would seem," said Ragnor slowly, "That Dumbledore has been transferring a set amount of money from your vaults into a muggle bank account under the name Dursley – once a month, starting the month after your parents' deaths."

A small, but noticeable crackle began in the room.

"Harry…"

"I'm fine," he bit out, one hand gripping the arm of his chair until his knuckles were white and the other gripped my hand in a similar fashion. "That stops now," he said to Ragnor, his tone icy.

"It is already done."

"Good – they deserve less than nothing, and I certainly never saw any of that money growing up," he nearly growled. "Anything else?"

"Just one final piece of information that I think you'll welcome, for once," said Ragnor, just a shade from sarcasm. "Although you have no closely related living relatives, you do have a god-brother by the name of Neville Franklin Longbottom, heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom. Your mother was his godmother and vice versa, making you god-brothers."

Even I hadn't known that – I wondered if Neville even knew. Judging from the look of hurt and disbelief on Harry's face, he certainly didn't know.

"Neville's my god-brother?" he repeated in a whisper. "He's never said anything…"

"It's very possible he doesn't know, Harry," I suggested softly.

Harry eyed me suspiciously. "What do you know, Gia?"

I froze.

Of course, Neville had been a baby – same as Harry – when his parents were attacked. It was possible that his parents never informed his grandmother, and she wouldn't have been able to tell Neville. Knowing how proud and old-fashioned the old bat was, I was certain that she'd have let the world know her grandson was Harry Potter's god-brother. Under any other circumstances, it wasn't my secret to tell but if they were god-brothers, I knew Neville needed this as much as Harry did.

"I'll tell you when we get back to Hogwarts," I promised finally.

Finally, Ragnor pulled a sealed, yellowed envelope from the very bottom of the file. "If you're ready, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes," he said immediately, leaning forward, "my parents have waited long enough to have their wishes heard and fulfilled."

"Very well."

_**Last Will and Testament**_

_**Being of sound mind and body, I, James Charlus Potter –and I, Lily Jane Potter, pronounce this our final will and testament.**_

_**To keep it short and simple, we wish for the custody of our only child, our son and heir Harry James Potter, to go to his godfather and our very dear friend, Sirius Orion Black. If Sirius is unavailable, we would like Remus John Lupin to take custody of him, with our full awareness and acceptance of his lycanthropy affliction.**_

_**If both Remus and Sirius are unavailable, we pass custody to Frank and Alice Longbottom, Harry's godmother and her husband. In the case that all of them are unavailable or unwilling, Harry is to go to Augusta Longbottom, Severus Snape, or to be put up for adoption by a wizarding family that will have to fit very strict, custom-created qualifications and tests before being given custody of Harry. If Harry is to be adopted, his adoptive parents will also be required to comply with regular in-house visits and take Harry to receive regular check-ups, at least twice a year, at St. Mungo's to ensure his safety, health, and well-being.**_

_**He is under NO circumstances to EVER be released into the custody of Petunia Rose Evans-Dursley, Vernon Hubert Dursley, Marjorie Beth Dursley, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, or Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort.**_

_**At the age of fourteen, if Harry is not happy with his home, he is to be immediately emancipated and given full access to the family vault as well as all family assets, properties, and businesses.**_

_**As for our material possessions, absolutely everything goes to our son and only heir, Harry James Potter. If he wishes to distribute any of it, he may do so at his own discretion.**_

_**We would like Harry to know that we do love him, more than life itself, or quidditch, books, pranking, or anything. We didn't want to leave him, but if we died fighting for him and protecting him, than we died rightfully.**_

_**We want Harry to know that we'll be watching over him always, and no matter what choices he makes, we'll love him and be proud of him. He is the brightest light of our lives in such a dark time, and he means the world to us. These are our final wishes.**_

_**So mote it be.**_

The three of us sat in silence for several minutes.

While Ragnor seemed content to wait, I was cautiously watching Harry's tight-jawed expression. His skin wasn't running a current at the moment, but his body was vibrating silently beside me. He seemed to be whispering to himself, and it took me a moment to realize he was counting under his breath. It wasn't until he'd gotten to three hundred and fifty that he took a deep breath and looked to Ragnor.

"What – happened?" he said through clenched teeth.

"Albus Dumbledore happened," said Ragnor simply. "He arrived here at Gringotts the night your parents were attacked and had their will sealed."

"Who let this happen? How could he just waltz in here and seal their will without – without permission, without authority?" Harry was absolutely fuming.

"Your previous account manager, Griphook – his actions as your overseer have been reviewed and the dirty traitor has been dealt with," Ragnor said firmly, a dark gleam in his eye.

I was well aware how harshly goblin's punished offenders, especially when it came to business. Losing the gold or the business of a prominent pureblood family like the Potters would not bode well for Gringotts at all.

"Good," Harry said darkly. "Now… Sirius's situation is self-explanatory – but why didn't Remus take custody of me? Even without the will, he had to have known my parents would want me to be with him after Sirius got arrested."

"Oh Remus Lupin certainly tried for years," Ragnor reassured, "But without the explicit directions of your parents, the Ministry refused to release _the_ Harry Potter into the custody of a registered werewolf."

"I'm not surprised at all," I commented, shaking my head in disgust. "The restrictions on magical beings are despicable at best. They're not even allowed to adopt children outside of their species."

"No one should be denied the right to have a family," Harry said firmly, falling back on his usual habit of running his fingers through his hair. "And anything would've been better than living with people like the Dursleys. I know that Remus would've taken the proper precautions around the full moon – he'd never put me in danger. What about Neville's parents? I've never heard him talk about them. I mean, I know he lives with his grandmother but I never thought to ask why."

Ragnor's eyes flicked to mine and he tipped his head slightly to the side, as if giving me the floor.

Squeezing Harry's hand, suddenly very nervous, I made him look at me. "Harry…" I started slowly, "I really didn't feel like it was my place to say anything if Neville hadn't already told any of you, but since it's now inevitable…" I paused again. "Harry, somewhere in the days after your parents were killed, Neville's parents were tortured into – into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange. She was one of Voldemort's more…passionate followers and she, and a few others, tortured the Longbottoms for information. They're all in Azkaban or dead now, but – but Neville's parents –"

I couldn't find the words, especially seeing the horror in Harry's eyes.

"Forgive me, but I believe they are permanent residents of the psych ward at St. Mungo's," said Ragnor finally, as delicately as his harsh voice would allow. "They are essentially what muggles would call…vegetables."

Harry was at a loss for words.

"I know Harry, I know," I whispered, using one hand to hold his and the other to stroke his arm. "We can't do anything for his parents – they haven't been able to find a way to reverse the effects, even after all these years. But we can be there for Neville now, and make sure that he knows he has more family than he ever imagined."

After a long while, Harry jerked his head to Ragnor. "Why is Severus Snape on that list? That man has made it very clear that he hates the very air I breathe – why would my parents let him gain custody over me?"

"From my limited knowledge, Severus Snape and your father had a very…tense and extensive history," Ragnor said carefully, "It's possible that this grudge carried over to you, however, Mr. Snape and your mother were extremely close friends through their years at Hogwarts. Despite this, I believe that it was your father that suggested Mr. Snape as a guardian option for you. Perhaps he knew that Mr. Snape would protect you, regardless of his feelings toward your father."

I was sure Harry wanted to protest this greatly, but from the stories he'd told me about his first three years, Professor Snape had done his best to keep Harry safe and alive.

"I see…" Harry murmured, before shaking his head as if to clear away whatever thoughts plagued him. "Everyone else mentioned in the will is self-explanatory, though I find it interesting that my parents trusted Dumbledore with their safe house location but not with the task of raising their son. I suppose it doesn't matter now… Okay, now that my parents' wishes have been read, I'm ready to lead my family."

"Very well, follow me."

What followed was nothing short of an adventure – complete with a rather turbulent cart-ride underground, a peek at an enormous dragon, and maniacal laughing (from me). The trip ended outside of the Potter ancestral vault, where Ragnor gave Harry a ceremonial blade and instructed him to place three drops of blood on a ward stone just outside of it. As control of the vault passed over to Harry, he was able to grant Ragnor and me permission to enter, though Ragnor was content to wait at the vault's interest while we took a look around.

To say the vault was bloody huge would've been an understatement. It was as big as the Grey and Wilde vaults, and much more cheerful.

It was a monstrous, cavernous place in its own right, and contained so many different sections that we didn't know where to start. Inside of the vault, there were actually several doors that led into antechambers, which were labeled appropriately: _**Gold – Furniture – Clothing – Transportation – Portraits – Jewels – Magical Items – Personal Items**_**.**

"Hey, look at this," called Harry from the center of the main chamber.

Slowly, I approached where Harry stood before a tall, stone pedestal at the very center of the vault. Atop, there was a small, square box and two yellowed envelopes with Harry's name on them, each written in different handwriting.

"Letters from your parents?" I asked softly, placing a hand on his back.

"I think so," he said, just as quietly. But rather than open them right then, he slipped both envelopes into his back pocket. "I think I'd like to read these when we get back."

"Well, go on then," I said, smiling and gesturing to the small box.

Much too slow for my liking, Harry finally picked up the box and opened it, revealing the Potter signet ring. It was still very masculine, reflecting that the last owner, James Potter, had been male. If Harry had been born a girl, it would transform itself into a more feminine form. It was a beautifully crafted gold ring with small runes etched around the band, which conjoined at the top underneath a flat, circular blood-red gem. On the surface of the jewel was the Potter crest, etched in gold – two tiny griffins facing each other, partially standing on their hind legs, seemingly mid-roar with their heads thrown back.

Typical Gryffindors.

After studying the design long enough that I was ready to shove the damn thing on his finger myself, Harry finally slid the ring onto his left ring finger, where it flashed and shrunk itself to fit. A brief second passed…and then Harry cursed and grasped both sides of his head, his face twisted up in pain.

"Harry! Harry?" I asked worriedly, grabbing his shoulders to keep him steady as he staggered a bit.

He seemed to struggle for several minutes before he was able to speak, and when he did, his voice was alight with wonder. He picked up a small note that had been tucked underneath the ring in the box and showed it to me as an explanation:

_**The ring holds the combined, contributed knowledge of our ancestors, and a few hidden surprises too. Use it well.**_

– _**Dad **_

"He could've put the bloody note on top so I'd have known that first," Harry muttered, looking up towards the heavens. "The ring talks," he said to me, and then paused, "Well, I suppose the voice is in my head but it can tell me things about my family, or the vaults – it can only give me information that was infused into it though."

After getting a bit more information about the things inside his vault, Harry found a medium-sized leather backpack that was internally expanded and began loading it with a little bit of everything: gold, old tomes and journals, weapons, you name it. After a quick ride back up to the lobby, Ragnor gave Harry a black leather wallet with muggle identification cards, a passport, and cards linked to all of his vaults.

Bidding them goodbye, Harry and I spent a couple hours shopping around for his new wardrobe before arriving back at Hogwarts. I suggested he leave his purchases in my room for the moment and practically dragged him down to the Great Hall for a later lunch. The envious glares we both received because of the other were rather humorous, and by the time we arrived in the full Great Hall, we were laughing like mad.

"Well don't you two look nice," drawled Liz, taking a sip from her water.

"You know I refuse to wear that ghastly uniform when we don't have class," was my response, immediately grabbing every dish in sight and piling up my plate.

"Any reason you're both wearing all black?" Hermione asked curiously, unknowingly twirling a silky curl around her finger.

"It's Halloween," said Liz, as if it should've been obvious, though Hermione still looked confused.

"Is it because of Harry's parents, then?" said Ron, surprisingly. At Harry's nod, Ron, perhaps for the first time, explained something to Hermione that she didn't already know. "It's a pureblood thing," he explained, pulling a slight face, "You're supposed to wear all black for a week after the death of family, and on death anniversaries."

I think Hermione's expression was because Ron had formulated an intelligent explanation, rather than at the information itself.

"Oh don't look so shocked," Ron huffed, rolling his eyes. "I had two uncles – twins like Fred and George – they died during the first war. Mum makes us wear black every year to mourn the day they died."

"I'm sorry…" we all seemed to mutter at the same time.

"I don't remember them," Ron shrugged, now picking at his lunch, "I was just a baby; happened the same year that – that Harry…you know. Mum doesn't like to talk about it – or anything about the first war. Dad used to tell us stories though, said they were pranksters just like Fred and George."

"I don't mean to be insensitive," I started slowly, "But how – how did they…"

"Mum and Dad wouldn't tell us, but Bill and Charlie did – came home pissed one night and I suppose they felt like reminiscing. They were killed fighting Death Eaters – said it took five of them to take them down, and they took a few with them," said Ron, a fierce pride glowing in his blue eyes.

It took a few minutes for the rest of us to digest this information; even Neville looked a little shaken. Ron seemed uncomfortable at being the center of attention for once, and changed the subject. "Where were you this morning? You weren't in the dorm when I woke up," he asked Harry after swallowing a mouthful of eggs.

"I was with Gia," said Harry simply. Hermione stared at us both.

"People are going to talk…" she started.

Harry and I both laughed. "They're already talking, Hermione," he said, unbothered.

"That ship has sailed," I agreed.

"Anyway, I'll tell you all about it later – it'll take a minute. Where have you lot been?"

"The library – again," Ron groaned, grabbing the side of his head as if heading off a headache.

"Then you should have no problem acing exams at the end of the year, what with all this studying you've been doing," Liz piped up from behind her book.

Whatever Ron had been about to say seemed to have gotten stuck in his throat as we were approached by two people, coming from opposite directions.

Fleur and Viktor.

"Afternoon," greeted Viktor, bowing and smiling at Hermione, Liz, and me. "I like your hair," he added, looking down at Hermione, who flushed brilliantly at the compliment. "You look very beautiful, Gia."

I smiled brightly up at him, feeling Harry tense beside me. "Thank you Viktor, you're looking rather dashing as well," I said, raking my eyes over his solid build and expensive furs.

Merlin, this was a real man.

I stood up from the table and leaned into Fleur, kissing each other's cheeks. "Il a raison. Tu es aussi beau que moi, es-tu sûr de ne pas en faire partie Veela?" asked Fleur, her tinkling giggle washing over me and lifting me up.

_(He's right. You look as good as me, are you sure you're not part Veela?)_

"Je ne suis pas partie Veela, mais je ne suis pas tout à fait humain non plus," I replied, laughing and tossing my own thick curls over my shoulder, particularly pleased at such a compliment.

_(I'm not part Veela, but I'm not quite human either.)_

Fleur looked quite interested and intrigued, studying me closely as if trying to figure out exactly what I was. In my peripheral, I watched Hermione pinch Ron's arm – hard, as he was once again struck dumb by Fleur's aura. I sighed and rolled my eyes, a gesture that was mirrored by the French girl as she followed my eyes to Ron.

"Cela te dérange? Avoir des hommes qui te regardent tout le temps comme ça?" I asked, wondering what it must've been like to grow up with Veela blood.

_(Does it bother you? To have men staring at you all the time like that?)_

Fleur nodded, her eyes going distant for a moment. "Oui c'est dur. Je n'ai pas eu de petit ami depuis des années parce que je ne sais jamais ..."

_(Yes, it's hard. I haven't had a boyfriend in years because I never know...)_

"Si c'est réel ou si c'est à cause de votre allure?" I finished, truly feeling for the girl. My fears stemmed from people not accepting me for what I was, but to live with that kind of doubt – it had to be maddening.

_(If it's real or if it's because of your allure?)_

"Précisément. La journée a été longue, je te verrai plus tard?"

_(Precisely. It has been a long day, I will see you later?)_

"Oui," was my simple reply, and I wasn't the only one that watched Fleur's confident stride as she walked away from our group. Turning back to the table, I paused, noticing that my friends and Viktor were all staring at me. "What? You saw me talking to her last night, why the surprise?"

"It's just that you two seem awfully close already," said Harry curiously.

"The French are affectionate people," I said, shrugging lightly.

"You are French?" asked Viktor, looking me up and down skeptically.

"Spanish," I replied, smiling, "Well – half and half- English."

"I see," said Viktor, before gazing down into my eyes rather intensely, "I vos hoping that you vould cheer for me tonight – if I am made champion?"

The silence amongst my friends was thick. I didn't have to turn my head to feel the heat pouring off of Harry, but I pushed away the wriggling knots in my gut and summoned another dazzling smile for Viktor. "Of course Viktor, I know you'll be a great champion for your school."

"I vill see you tonight at the feast?" he asked, much more cheerful now. At my mute nod, too ecstatic to speak, he bowed again and kissed the back of my hand, before bidding my friends a farewell and striding off towards the exit.

After finishing with lunch, the six of us wandered the castle, trying to dispel the tension that had been steadily rising since the beginning of term. We kept the conversation light, but Harry seemed awfully quiet and as my eyes kept wandering to his troubled face, thoughts of the upcoming feast remained insistent. About an hour or so later, we'd ended up back on the first floor and wandered into the entrance hall to watch students enter their names into the Goblet. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the rickety old stool that normally held the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" asked Ron, leaning over towards a third year girl that stood nearby.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied, fighting a blush at the attention. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," commented Harry absently. "If I was entering, that's what I'd do. I wouldn't want everyone watching. What if the Goblet just gobbed you right back out again in front of everyone?"

"Makes sense," said Liz thoughtfully, "But if you're going to try and enter a deadly Tournament, you're expecting to perform in front of three schools. Now's not the time to be shy –"

Behind us, three familiar laughs echoed around the hall. Turning around, we watched as Fred, George, and Lee hurried down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited and pleased with themselves.

"Done it," said Fred in a triumphant whisper to the six of us. "Just taken it."

"What?" said Ron.

"_Please_ tell me that you three idiots didn't take an aging potion?" I asked, groaning dramatically.

The three large grins told us everything we wanted to know.

"One drop each," confirmed George, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, still grinning broadly.

"We've still got a bit left if you changed your mind, Gia," Fred suggested, wagging his eyebrows. "If you can take on a giant snake, this Tournament should be cake for you."

"That was a group effort," I stated firmly, gesturing to my friends, "I'd be dead if it weren't for them and I'm still not interested in the Tournament."

"This isn't going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "It's like Gia said last night, Dumbledore will have thought of this."

"You would've been better off trying to find a counter-charm for the Age Line," added Liz, shaking her head amusedly at the boys. "But I'm interested in seeing the consequences of trying to fool it. By all means, please do it."

"These idiots couldn't think of anything else so they settled on the aging potion, am I right?" I asked, smiling broadly as the boys refused to meet my eyes. "You three are going to get what's coming to you, and when it doesn't work," I waved my hands and my camera appeared, "I'm getting blackmail material."

Nothing we said seemed to have gotten through their thick skulls.

"Ready?" Fred asked the other two, positively quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then – I'll go first."

We all watched, fascinated, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words _**Fred Weasley – Hogwarts**_. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.

For a split second I actually stupidly thought it had worked – George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred – but the next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.

The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards. They even posed for a bunch of pictures that I was rapidly taking of them.

"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice. Everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "And I do believe I heard these three," he gestured to Hermione, Liz, and I, "warn you two as well. I'd suggest listening to these bright young ladies in the future."

The three of us grinned at each other.

"I also suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, sheepish and accompanied by Lee, who was still howling with laughter. The trio, Neville, Liz, and I – also chuckling – headed back into the Great Hall, where it appeared that most of the school was hanging out for the day. The decorations in the Great Hall had changed since this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. This was my first Halloween at Hogwarts, and though there were dozens of worries bogging my conscience down, I couldn't help but revel in the festive atmosphere. It was Harry who led us a ways down the Gryffindor Table towards Dean and Seamus, who seemed to be discussing possible Hogwarts champion.

"There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told us conspiratorially. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."

Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust. "We can't have a Slytherin champion!"

"That's a little hypocritical, don't you think?" I whispered, leaning over towards Harry. "Weren't you almost in Slytherin?"

"That's a little unfair," said Liz aloud, "A Hogwarts victory is a Hogwarts victory, right?"

Hermione and I seemed to be the only ones that agreed with her.

"Better Diggory than a Slytherin," said Seamus contemptuously. "He's all the Hufflepuffs are talking about – wouldn't have thought he'd want to risk his good looks."

Before I could say anything in defense of Cedric, Hermione jumped from her seat excitedly, "Look!"

People were cheering out in the entrance hall. We all swiveled around in our seats and saw Angelina Johnson, one of the Gryffindor chasers on the Quidditch team, coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way.

"Well, I've done it – just put my name in," she said once she'd plopped down beside us.

"You're kidding!" said Ron, clearly impressed.

"The Goblet accepted your name?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Are you seventeen, then?" asked Harry.

"Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron, laughing at the memory.

"I had my birthday last week," said Angelina, throwing a surprisingly strong arm around my shoulder. "Thanks for the Broom Servicing Kit, by the way Gia. My old one was running low on polish."

"Think nothing of it," I said, shrugging. No harm in buttering up to the future captain of the Quidditch team, especially when the season would be up and running next year.

"Well, I'm glad someone in our House is entering," said Hermione supportively. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"

The rest of us agreed enthusiastically.

"Thanks, guys," said Angelina, smiling at us.

"Better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," said Seamus, causing a group of Hufflepuffs passing our table to scowl heavily at him.

"Didn't you see what happened to Crabbe for speaking ill of my brother, Seamus?" I said, my tone calm but hard. Seamus paled and swallowed thickly. "I'm all for House loyalty, but ease up. No need to put another possible Hogwarts champ down."

Soon enough, the trio, Liz, and I bid the other Gryffindors farewell, slipping out of the Great Hall. Neville had claimed to be tired and wanted to lie down before the feast.

"What do you lot want to do until the feast?" Ron asked as we passed the still crowded entrance hall.

"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid in a while," suggested Harry.

"Okay," agreed Ron, "Just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."

"Gia," said Harry suddenly, pointing to the door, "It's your friend."

The students from Beauxbaton were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, Fleur. Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly. Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line. One by one, the Beauxbaton students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks.

"What d'you reckon happens to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron muttered, watching closely as Fleur dropped her parchment into the Goblet. "Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?"

"I doubt the students will fly that bloody carriage back to France without Madame Maxime," Liz replied from behind me. "Isn't she staying to judge the Tournament?"

When all the Beauxbaton students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime started to lead them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again, until I called out to Fleur. "Fleur, bonne chance!" I called in French.

_(Fleur, good luck!)_

Fleur stopped and turned her head, but so did the rest of her classmates and Madame Maxime. Fleur smiled and hurried over to me, and she surprised me by bypassing the cheek kisses and pulling me into a quick, tight hug.

"Je t'ai vu entrer, es-tu excité?" I asked, smiling warmly. She nodded happily.

_(I saw you enter, are you excited?)_

"Oui, comme tout le monde, j'espère que je suis choisi comme champion," said Fleur, shrugging, causing her sheet of silky hair to shimmer prettily.

_(Yes, like everyone else, I hope I'm chosen as a champion.)_

"Bonne chance, tu ferais un grand champion!" I complimented honestly. There was something about Fleur's calm confidence and her humble kindness that made me take a liking to her. I was sure that it would be too easy to become arrogant and conceited being descended from Veela, but Fleur didn't strike me as the type. From nearby, Madame Maxime watched on, smiling grandly at us as we spoke.

_(Good luck, you would make a great champion.)_

"Merci, allez-vous entrer?"

_(Thanks, are you going to enter?)_

I laughed aloud at that but shook my head, ignoring the confused looks on my friends' faces for the moment. I could tell that Hermione was the only one that was even remotely following the conversation. "Non, Non, je ne suis pas assez vieux pour entrer. Qu'advient-il de ceux qui ne sont pas choisis?"

_(No, No, I'm not old enough to enter. What happens to those who are not chosen?)_

Fleur's eyebrows rose in surprise. I was surprised too – surprised that she thought I looked seventeen. "Ils resteront pour regarder le tournoi," she said, shrugging again.

_(They'll stay to watch the tournament.)_

Soon after, Fleur and I bid each other farewell until the feast, and as they left the hall, Madame Maxime raised an enormous hand to me as well. Turning back to my friends, they stared at me as if I'd grown another head.

"She said that those who aren't chosen to stay to watch the tournament," I commented idly, slapping away Harry's hand as he playfully yanked one of my curls.

"What else did she say?" asked Ron.

"She said she's excited, and she hopes she gets chosen. I told her she'd make a great champion, which she would. She asked me if I was entering," I nodded at their disbelieving looks, "she thought I was a seventh year. Anyway, I told her I was too young to enter, and that was basically it."

"You're too short to be seventh year," said Harry, laughing as I leveled him with a golden-eyed glare.

"Watch it, wonder boy."

With that, we all fell into step and headed for Hagrid's. As we neared his cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mystery of the Beauxbaton's sleeping quarters was solved. The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid's front door, and the students were climbing back inside it. The elephantine flying horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside it.

Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered instantly.

"Bout time!" boomed Hagrid, once he'd flung open the door. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"

"We've been really busy, Hag –" Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words.

Honestly, I couldn't find words, myself. Hagrid seemed to be wearing a hair brown suit, paired with a checkered yellow and orange tie. He'd clearly tried to tame his hair, using what smelled like an entire vat of axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches, and I almost felt bad, having an inkling of what had spurned this sudden makeover.

For a moment, Hermione goggled at him, then, obviously deciding not to comment, she said, "Erm – where are the skrewts?"

Liz and I shared a look, and I could see the knowing grin beginning to spread across her lips. I wanted to fight the impulse, but only seconds later, my better judgement won out. "Hagrid," I started delicately, "I'm sorry, but this isn't going to cut it."

I ignored the trio's astounded faces and furiously shaking heads, and pushed Hagrid back into his cabin, the others following behind. I sat Hagrid on his bed as the other four sat at the table, and watched as I pulled out my wand.

"Wha' are yeh goin' ter do, Gia?" asked Hagrid warily.

"I'm going to fix you up for Madame Maxime, obviously," I said cheerfully, wondering where to start. Hagrid blushed brilliantly, and looked around at my friends.

"You lot look mighty nice," he commented.

The four of them pointed at me. "Blame Gia," they said in unison.

Apparently deciding that I was very capable, Hagrid relaxed and I got to work. I decided to start from the top and work my way down. Pondering, I waved my wand and the product Hagrid had used in his hair disappeared, causing it to fluff up even more than usual. I ran through every beauty spell in my repertoire, and believe me, there were plenty, and decided on cleaning his hair first, and then gently combing out all the tangles and knots. After that, I used a spell that smoothed it out so that it hung down straight, oddly reminiscent of Dumbledore's hair and beard, only Hagrid's was black. Doing this showed off more of Hagrid's kind eyes, and I tied his beard with a little leather band. With that done, I moved on. I turned his checkered tie into a plain black, his shirt a crisp white, and his hairy brown suit into black slacks and a matching jacket. I figured he'd get hot eventually and didn't want him to sweat, so I made him take off the black jacket, and rolled up his white sleeves, showing off his huge, muscled, hairy forearms.

Standing back, I looked from Hagrid to the trio and Liz, who were staring in utter shock and amazement. Hagrid looked at them uncertainly. "Well, how do I look?" he asked.

Harry and Ron broke into huge grins, and clapped Hagrid's huge shoulders. "Madame Maxime won't know what hit her!" exclaimed Harry.

"Wow Hagrid," Hermione breathed, "You look so…dapper."

Hagrid blushed lightly, and he pulled me into a hug that nearly broke my entire rib cage. When he let me go, I inhaled as much air as possible, and managed a weak smile at Hagrid, who was thanking me profusely. I absently conjured a mirror so that he could see himself, and he was rather pleased with my work.

"Now Hagrid," I said, once I could properly breathe again, "It'll get cooler as the night goes on, so right before the feast, I suggest unrolling your sleeves and putting the jacket back on."

"Alrigh' Gia, and thank yeh again," He said happily.

"Anything for a friend, Hagrid."

We sat down at the table while Hagrid started to make tea, and were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed quite as excited about it as we were.

"You wait," he said, grinning, "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task... Ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."

"Go on, Hagrid!" we urged, but he simply shook his head, still grinning.

"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," said Hagrid. "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Those Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"

We ended up having another snack with Hagrid, though we didn't eat much – Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers, we lost our appetites. However, we enjoyed ourselves trying to make Hagrid tell us what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet.

A light rain had started to fall by mid-afternoon; it was very cozy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, and we listened to Hagrid tell us stories of not only the Marauders, but also the uncles, Gideon and Fabian, that Ron had mentioned that morning. Apparently, they were all pranksters and he'd spent all his time chasing them away from the forest. When it had begun to get dark around half-past five, we decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast – and, more important, the announcement of the school champions.

"I'll come with yeh," said Hagrid, absently straightening up the hut. He'd begun to get fidgety the closer it got to commencement of the feast. "Jus' give us a sec."

Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. We didn't pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached our nostrils.

Coughing, Ron managed to say, "Hagrid, what _is_ that?"

"Eh?" said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. "Don' yeh like it?"

"Is that aftershave?" said Hermione in a slightly choked voice.

"Err – eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered. He was blushing. "Maybe it's a bit much – I'll go take it off, hang on…"

"Wait, let me do it," I piped up, stopping him.

Rather than hesitant this time, Hagrid immediately agreed, standing still while I went to work. I waved my wand, opening all of the windows to his cabin, and used a spell to purify the air. Then, I used another spell to clean that horrid cologne off of Hagrid, and instead, replaced it with a faint musk smell. It didn't smell as out of place, and I found it calming.

"Thanks Gia," he said again, nearly knocking me over as he patted my shoulder affectionately.

"Look!" said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window.

Hagrid had just straightened up and turned around. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. I had to force Hagrid out of the cabin, and when he did, we peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbaton students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too.

We couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression that I knew very well.

_Ah, the poor man's in love._

I grinned smugly as I watched them. "She's impressed," I said, for the benefit of the trio. Liz could no doubt hear them as well as I could, "With how well he's 'cleaned up'. She's fond of him as well."

"He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"

"Jealous, Mione?" teased Liz, even as we watched on through the window.

Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbaton students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.

"He fancies her?" asked Ron incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record – bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."

I cuffed the back of Ron's head. "They fancy each _other_. I think it's rather sweet."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "You did a great job, fixing him up," she said, "I've never seen him look that good."

We let ourselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind us. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing our cloaks more closely around ourselves, we set off up the sloping lawns.

"Look who it is," said Liz, turning towards the lake.

The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them. Ron watched Viktor excitedly, but he didn't look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead us, until I called his name, of course.

"Viktor!" I called.

He glanced over his shoulder and stopped, causing the rest of his school, including Karkaroff to stop as well. He smiled and waited until we caught up. I grinned at him, but turned to Karkaroff respectfully, and executed my usual curtsy.

"Headmaster Karkaroff," I greeted respectfully.

Somewhat following my lead, my friends nodded their heads in respect. Karkaroff eyed me, an odd sort of smile on his face as he looked from me to Viktor's smiling face.

"I heard you entered Viktor," I said to him, after Karkaroff had bowed to me. Viktor nodded with a smile. "Well, good luck. You'll make a great champion for your school," Viktor's smile widened, "I'll be cheering for you, as promised."

"Thank you, Gia," he said carefully, always mindful of his English.

As usual, he kissed the back of my hand, nodded to my friends, and he and the rest of Durmstrang headed inside. Before I even turned to look at my friends, I could hear the very slight, very quiet crackling begin. Sure enough, Harry was glaring at the back of Viktor's head, while Ron looked sort of dumbstruck at being so close to one of his idols.

"Cut it out before you accidentally smite him," I growled playfully, whacking Harry's arm.

"Oh, it won't be an accident," he muttered darkly, rubbing the spot I'd hit.

When we entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the center of the teachers' table. Fred and George – clean-shaven again – seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.

"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as we plopped down into our usual seats.

I put an arm around Neville and squeezed lightly, before turning towards the rest of the Hall. Cedric's nervous and excited face was easy to spot; I shot him a bright smile and a thumbs up, which he returned. Looking a bit further behind him, I blew a teasing kiss at Draco and smiled at Viktor, who also looked sullen and nervous.

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was our second feast in two days, no one seemed to enjoy the extravagantly prepared food as much as we would have normally. Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, I simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

Though I was sure I knew how the dice would fall after the choosing of the champion, my stomach was a knot of worry and dread. My mind had continuously wandered back to that damned dream I'd had the night before, and though I'd done all I could, if Harry's name came out of that Goblet, there was nothing I could do. I had done my best to keep him occupied all day, and – except to watch Fred and George fail – I had kept him well away from the Goblet of Fire. Everything else was out of my hands. Liz seemed to sense my discontent because she kept looking up from her food to peer at me worriedly, and clearly was not appeased by the fake smile I summoned for her.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall and stand before the rest of the students until further instructions are given."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it. At once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging us all into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, blue-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes.

Everyone watched, waiting...

A few people kept checking their watches...

"Any second," Lee whispered a few seats down.

The flames inside the Goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it – the whole room gasped. My leg was positively vibrating underneath the table, so much so that Harry had to grip my thigh tightly and give me a reassuring smile that begged me to relax.

Dumbledore plucked the piece of parchment from the air and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read in a strong, clear voice, "Will be Viktor Krum!"

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall.

Viktor rose from the Slytherin table and strode, now confidently, up toward Dumbledore – all of the Durmstrang students had stood to applaud Viktor, and I joined them from the Gryffindor table. Having closely witnessed our conversations since their arrival, no one questioned it. Viktor turned right, walked along the staff table, and glanced over his shoulder. He saw me standing, clapping for him, and sent me a slight grin before he stopped just at the center of the table, and turned to face the Hall.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the Goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbaton," read Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

Fleur got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbaton party.

"Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms. Besides Madame Maxime, I was the only other person to stand and applaud her. Fleur waved happily at me, which I returned, before she too went to stand beside Viktor at the front of the Hall. Silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement, we could almost taste it.

The Hogwarts champion next...

At this point, my body was vibrating and it was all I could do to withhold the glowing of my eyes as my magic rose within me, in response to my warring emotions. The Goblet of Fire turned red once more. Sparks showered out of it, the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion is…"

We all almost groaned, and a few students even cursed or glared at Dumbledore as he smiled mischievously, letting the tension fill the room. But finally, he said, "…Cedric Diggory!"

"No!" groaned Ron loudly.

But no one heard him besides the few of us that were sitting closest to him – the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and went to stand beside the two others that had been chosen. I, of course, was amongst them and, indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as, at last, the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real –"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to all of us what had distracted him. The fire in the Goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment. Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore.

The sweet relief that I had felt upon watching Cedric be chosen as Hogwarts champion immediately died, and I knew that my eyes were a beacon as I felt faint. Though it must've surely been a giveaway, I gripped Harry's shoulder – partly from the utter terror I felt at what was about to happen and partly to keep myself upright as I felt the contents of the feast churning in my gut. I couldn't bear to look at Harry to my right. My eyes were locked on Dumbledore as he cleared his throat – all of our eyes were, as he said the dreaded words I had feared all day.

"Harry Potter."


	13. Triwizard Champions

**A/N: Coming in at a whopping 17,000 + words, this is the longest chapter so far. I'm about ten chapters ahead and enjoying the direction of the story. I don't know what you guys think though, so send me any reviews, comments, questions, concerns, or constructive criticism! I don't have a beta reader so if you spot any errors, please let me know so that I can make note of it for editing once the story's done.**

**Belle**

**Chapter 13**

The Great Hall was as silent as a tomb.

Every single head in the room had turned to look at Harry, pinning him to the spot. The jovial smile that had been upon his face after Cedric had been chosen died – he looked stunned, dumbstruck even. There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall. A few students were even bold enough to stand up and get a better look at him. But Harry was stuck, frozen in his seat. Professor McGonagall had gotten to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly. Viktor, Cedric, and Fleur were as stunned as everyone else, looking uneasily at their school Heads.

Finally, it seemed as though life had re-entered Harry's body – not just life, but an unholy anger that filled him up so quickly, I had to scoot as far away as possible as a wave of magic rose up around him. I didn't have to touch him to know that his skin was running a current.

"Harry –"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Mr. Potter, such language –" chided Professor McGonagall amidst the gasps around the Hall.

But Harry had suddenly risen from his seat and was striding purposefully along the table – in the opposite direction of the Head Table.

"Harry, where are you going?" called Dumbledore loudly.

Harry whirled around on the spot, hardly five feet from the double doors, his eyes pale, blazing green. "I didn't do this," he said clearly, glaring across the Hall directly at Dumbledore. I had a feeling that everything we'd learned at Gringotts must've been going through his head at that moment. "I didn't do this. I don't want this. And I'm not going to – to perform for your sick pleasure."

Just as he made to turn towards the doors again, Dumbledore said more firmly, "It is a magically binding contract, Harry, as soon as your name came out of the Goblet of Fire. We will look into how this happened, but in the meantime –"

"I'm not doing this!" said Harry louder.

"You will lose your magic if you refuse, Harry," said Dumbledore gravely.

"Then let them take it!"

Hermione's hand flew to her mouth in horror, and even Ron looked as though he'd been punched in the gut. Neville was pale and shaken, and Liz…though she'd expertly schooled her expression, I could sense the confusion and concern flowing from her. Further down the table, Ezra and Elias seemed to be staring intently at their sister to catch her attention, but she watched Harry just like everyone else. I could feel eyes burning into the side of my face and looked across the Hall to catch Draco's gaze. His face was red, his eyes wide and questioning, but I simply shrugged my shoulders helplessly.

As the room erupted into gasps and shocked exclaims, Harry finally crossed through the doorway out of the Great Hall. In the chaos, I slipped from the Gryffindor Table and bolted from the Hall behind him, catching him halfway through the entrance hall.

"Harry –" I called, carefully not to reach out and grab him.

"This is exactly what I was talking about!" he shouted, turning to face me. In the heavy, echoing silence of the entrance hall, I heard all activity in the Great Hall stop.

Harry's face was screwed up in anger, his hands clenched into fists at his side. His eyes were pale – very pale, and I held my hands out pacifyingly. "I understand that you're angry, Harry – I am too – and we're going to figure this out together…but you have to calm down."

"I'm tired of staying calm, Gia," he snapped coldly, and a quiet hum of power thrummed through him. "I should've known something this – asinine would happen the moment they told us about this Tournament! Every year, it's something else!"

"Harry, no matter what happens, you have me by your side at all times," I said quieter, stepping closer to him slowly. "You've been progressing massively in your training, and I'd never let anything happen to you anyway. You've got your friends," I lowered my voice, "And Sirius and Remus, and even Draco and me – all supporting you and looking out for you. It's going to be okay."

Harry stared at me coldly for a long minute, before he took a deep breath and seemed to shake off the dark haze that had overcome him. He lightened his stance and the tension disappeared as quickly as it had built up. Without a word, I jerked my head back towards the open double doors and together we walked back into the Great Hall. While I broke off and returned to my spot at the Gryffindor Table, Harry walked the straight path down the middle of the Hall until he joined Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor at the front.

"Thank you for rejoining us, Harry, my boy," said Dumbledore jovially, clasping his hands together before him. If looks could kill, Dumbledore would've been six feet under at that very moment. "Now that we have four of our champions, we can continue on with the selection process. It is my pleasure," he said louder as confused murmurs sprang up around the room, "to announce that we have mutually agreed to revive a special edition of the old Triwizard Tournament rules. This edition states that the chosen Champion of each school…may select one other student – of legal adulthood status – to participate alongside them as their partner. Not only will they work together as a team, but these partners will be considered chosen Champions in their own right as well, with an equal opportunity to win the prize."

Whatever I had been expecting next, it certainly hadn't been that.

"Yes!"

"Now I have chance –!"

"Pick me! Pick me!"

"I want to compete!"

The entire Hall had erupted with excited shouts and chatter; a few bolder people even stood from their seats and waved their arms enthusiastically to get a champion's attention. The previous tension and sour mood of the Hogwarts students quickly vanished as people called out to Harry – the Gryffindor table being especially vocal – to choose them as their partner. Hermione, Liz, and I shared a hard look – we'd be having a long meeting in East Tower after this, of that I was sure.

"Attention, please!" boomed Dumbledore, his voice magically amplified. The Hall fell silent at once. "Thank you. Now, as I call each Champion by name, they will step forward and clearly state the name of their chosen partner. I must stress, once again, that each partner must be of legal adulthood. If the student chosen agrees to participate, they are also agreeing to abide by the same magically binding contract as the champions that came out of the Goblet. Once you accept, there will be no going back."

As Dumbledore's eyes scanned cross the Hall, so did mine. The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables were certainly the most excited and vocal, with half of each table standing on their tiptoes to be seen. Only the foreign students at the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables were very active. The Ravenclaws themselves were usually pretty neutral, and though a fair bit of Slytherins had wanted to compete, they knew it was very, very unlikely that either Harry or Cedric would choose one of them as a partner.

"The first to select their partner – the fifth Champion of this tournament – will be Viktor Krum of Durmstrang!" announced Dumbledore as the Hall became silent again.

Viktor, rather straight-faced, took two steps forward from the line of Champions at the front of the Hall. He faced the student body and then his eyes scanned the Slytherin table, which held his schoolmates from Durmstrang. Finally, he said clearly, "My partner will be – Georgi Raikov."

The Great Hall burst into polite applause and cheers, Durmstrang being the loudest and most raucous. Either Georgi was Viktor's best mate or he was the second forerunner as the Durmstrang champion because none of their students seemed surprised at the selection. He rose from his seat and bowed slightly to his fellow students. His slightly curled hair was dark and cropped short, just above his ears. He had a fair bit of a full beard growing in, especially compared to Viktor's neat circle beard, but he was actually fairly handsome. His eyes, though as dark as Viktor's, had a sort of sparkling humor behind them, despite his calm and stern demeanor.

"Welcome, welcome to the circle of Champions, Mr. Raikov," called Dumbledore over the noise. "Please come and stand beside your partner. Yes, thank you – now, the next to select their partner and the sixth Champion, will be Fleur Delacour of Beauxbaton!"

To my quiet surprise, as Fleur stepped forward, her schoolmates appeared more nervous than excited. With the way the half-Veela was glaring haughtily over them, I had to wonder how much love there really was between Fleur and her school sisters.

"My partner will be…" said Fleur coolly, her hard tone still able to enrapture nearly every male in the room, "Abrial Bonnaire."

This was met with more surprise than anything by her peers. Abrial herself, a petite but serious looking girl, stared at Fleur with shock and a fair bit of suspicion. As the students gave their polite applause, however, Abrial rose from her seat and gracefully strode to stand beside Fleur. The half-Veela positively towered over her but looking at them standing beside each other, I still had to wonder who would win that fight. Whilst Fleur was tall and moved with natural grace and fluidity, Abrial was toned and clearly well-trained – she moved with the easy grace of a predator. She actually reminded me a fair bit of Liz. Harry would have his work cut out for him, if these first four champions were anything to go by.

"Cedric Diggory, of Hogwarts, will now select the seventh Champion, please."

The moment Cedric stepped forward the energy in the room seemed to thicken. The entire Hufflepuff House waited will bated breath as Cedric scanned the entire Hall, his smile easy and carefree. "My partner will be…" he paused dramatically, chuckling to himself as several people groaned, "Alex Sykes."

"What?"

"What!"

"But – but - he's a Ravenclaw!"

"Cedric!"

I was actually fairly surprised, though not as much as the Hufflepuffs. The entire Hufflepuff table had fallen apart, shouting hurt accusations and wild questions, betrayal clear upon their faces. They had clearly expected Cedric to select one of them and create a Hufflepuff tag-team, and though I had expected Cedric to choose Gabriel, I vaguely remembered that Alex had been one of his closest friends when we were younger. This had apparently continued, even after being sorted into different Houses. They should've known better. Cedric was the true definition of a Hufflepuff, and his loyalty knew no bounds, especially not the shallow lines between the Hogwarts Houses.

Alex Sykes, six foot three of the best England had to offer, stood from his spot at the end of the Ravenclaw table. He was as handsome and fair as Cedric, with his broad shoulders and wavy honey-brown hair. He smiled proudly as he met Cedric at the front of the Hall, and they clapped each other on the shoulder. As he faced the rest of the school, I took in his tanned, dimpled face – his wide, blue eyes – and his nicely muscled body.

Merlin, the man was gorgeous. After Alex had taken his place at the front and given the Hall a good look at him, none of the female students seemed to mind too much.

"And finally," called Dumbledore happily, "Harry Potter, of Hogwarts, will select the eighth and final Champion in this Tournament!"

If the energy and tension in the room had thickened before Cedric's choice, it positively crackled as Harry, still stone-faced, stepped forward and faced the Hall. All of our friends around the Gryffindor Table leaned forward in anticipation, and even I had to admit that I was curious about what could possibly be going through Harry's mind at that moment. He was clearly still fairly bewildered and angry, but seemed to have gained control of himself. In fact, he had a very small, almost unperceivable smirk along his lips.

"Harry, what are you planning?" I murmured under my breath.

Finally, he took a breath and said, "My partner is – of course – Giavana Grey."

Though no one seemed surprised at Harry's choice, given our very clear bond and friendship, there were still a few groans and gasped mixed in with the wild cheers that went up around me at the Gryffindor table. Hermione didn't know whether to be pleased or horrified at the thought of both of her friends competing, and though Neville seemed to contain enough horror for them both, Liz shot me an approving look and nodded her head. She knew that if anyone would keep Harry safe from within the Tournament, it would be me – and she was bloody right about that. Ron, on the other hand, looked as though he'd had a dagger driven into his back.

This wouldn't end well, indeed, I thought, remembering Gnarlkin's words previously.

"Excuse me – attention, please – ATTENTION!" Dumbledore finally yelled over the noise. "Though I'm sure Miss Grey would make an excellent champion, she is not of age and may not compete."

"Then why am I being forced to compete?" said Harry boldly, turning around to look up at the headmaster.

"Harry, the Goblet itself chose you," said Dumbledore patronizingly. "We cannot reverse its decision. Miss Grey, however –"

"Will compete beside Harry Potter," I said loudly, rising from the Gryffindor table, a smirk growing across my lips as I sauntered down the lane between us and the Hufflepuffs. "After all," I said, coming to stand beside Harry, "I am Lady and Head of my House, which means that in the eyes and law of our world, I am legally an adult."

To prove my point, I held out my left hand and willed the large and very visible signet ring to appear.

"And now that I have accepted, as you said yourself, it is a magically binding contract and I am obligated to compete alongside my partner," I said firmly, raising an eyebrow, as if daring him to contradict himself.

"Very well," said Dumbledore, though he certainly wasn't pleased, "I give you – Giavana Grey – our eighth and final competitor! Now that our champions have been chosen, would they please follow the judges and myself into the antechamber beyond the Head Table."

As the eight of us were led up to the platform that held the professors' table, in the chaos that the Hall had fallen in, I found Draco's eyes again. Holding up my arm, I tapped my wrist as if tapping a watch, and held up two fingers, knowing that he'd understand. I knew that the others would already be waiting in either the Gryffindor or East Tower, and finally followed the procession through a nearly hidden doorway and found ourselves in a moderately sized sitting room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A fire roared enthusiastically in the fireplace on the opposite wall, and I pulled Harry in that direction, taking comfort in its heat and power. The faces in the portrait seemed surprised at the additional two champions and whispered quietly to each other as everyone else took up their positions around the room.

"Gia, what's going on?" said Cedric quietly, moving closer to where we stood.

"We're as in the dark as anyone else, Ricky," I replied, glancing beside me at Harry's suddenly cold, closed off expression.

"But he – he didn't…" he let the question trail off, his eyes flitting to Harry before going back to mine.

"No, he didn't," I said firmly.

The last to enter were the adults: Ludo Bagman, Mr. Crouch, followed by Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime. The wave of shouts and buzzing was heard clearly in the Great Hall before Professor McGonagall closed the door, blocking it off.

"Harry…" started Dumbledore.

Harry suddenly stepped forward and raised his wand, causing more than one pair of eyes to narrow warily, but he only crossed his wand over his chest. "I, Harry James Potter, do swear that I did not submit my name in to the Goblet of Fire, nor did I ask anyone else to do it for me. So mote it be."

I could kiss him right then.

To emphasize his point, Harry cast a quick "Lumos!" to prove that he did still indeed have full use of his magic. "Now that none of you can accuse me of something that I didn't do," said Harry into the stunned silence of the room, "We can get down to figuring out how this happened."

"Unfortunately, the tournament rules clearly state that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament," said Mr. Crouch gravely. "We will be conducting a full investigation –"

"Barty, I am more than capable of investigating the events that take place within my school," said Dumbledore immediately.

"This event may take place within the walls of Hogwarts, Albus," replied Crouch coolly, "But it is still a Ministry-sponsored event and falls under our jurisdiction. We will investigate the matter and upon the discovery of any evidence, we will convene another meeting of the judges, as well the three Ministers of the countries involved."

"That is not enough!" snapped Karkaroff, any trace of a smile now gone. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has four champions! It is only fair, Dumbledore."

"But it doesn't work like that," said Bagman quickly. "The Goblet's just gone out – it won't reignite until the start of the next tournament –"

"...in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff. I grabbed the back of Harry's robe and pulled him closer to me, in case things went sideways, as it seemed to be. "After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"

"Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from near the door. "You can't leave your champions now. They've both got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore said – even for the partners. The moment they agreed to participate alongside the chosen Champions, their fate was sealed. Very convenient, eh?"

Moody had just entered the room. He limped closer to the fire, where Harry and I stood, and with every right step, there was a loud clunk.

"Convenient?" asked Karkaroff. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody."

Though Karkaroff had clearly been going for cold disdain, the clenched fists he held to hide his trembling gave him away.

"Don't you?" said Moody quietly. "It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put Potter's name in that Goblet knowing that he'd have to compete if it came out."

"Evidently, someone who wished to give Hogwarts four bites at ze apple!" said Madame Maxime.

"I quite agree, dear Madame," agreed Karkaroff, bowing to her. "I shall be lodging complaints with –"

"If anyone's got reason to complain, it's Potter," growled Moody, and I felt Harry stiffen beside, "but... funny thing... I don't hear him saying a word –"

"Why should he complain?" burst out Fleur, from Madame Maxime's side. "He has ze chance to compete, hasn't he? We have all been hoping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! Ze honor for our schools! A thousand galleons in price money – zis is the chance many would die for."

"He's already sworn his magical oath that he didn't enter himself or ask anyone to do it for him," I reminded them all coolly, "And if you've forgotten, he was willing to risk losing his magic to avoid this. Not everyone wants more attention or desires publicly gained honor, and not everyone is willing to die for a thousand galleons and some stupid trophy."

"Alright, that's enough," said Dumbledore firmly, his tone leaving little room for debate.

"So much for international cooperation," muttered Alex, from Cedric's right.

"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore, now speaking to everyone gather in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Cedric and Harry have been chosen by the Goblet to compete in this Tournament, and their partners have already been selected and officially sworn in. This, therefore, they will do..."

"Ah, but Dumbledore –"

"My dear Madame Maxime, if you have an alternative, I would be delighted to hear it."

We all waited, but Madame Maxime did not speak, she merely glared. She wasn't the only one either. Professor Snape looked furious, though who his anger was directed at was currently unclear. His relationship with Harry couldn't be describe as warm by any means but had certainly improved vastly compared to previous years. Karkaroff was positively livid, roughly twirling his beard around his finger, though both of his students remained quiet and seemingly detached.

Though the other champions looked more uncertain and confused than anything else, still reeling from the recent events, Bagman remained the only one in the room that still seemed excited about this whole debacle.

"Well, shall we crack on, then?" he said, rubbing his hands together and smiling around the room. "Got to give our champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?"

Mr. Crouch was silent for a few moments longer and seemed to force himself out of his deep thoughts. "Yes," he said slowly, "instructions. With this revived edition of the Triwizard Tournament, there shall be seven tasks as opposed to the standard three. They will be spread out about a month apart – one for each month continuing until April. You will have the month of May without a task in order to prepare for the final one."

Seeing that he had our undivided attention, he moved forward into the firelight and I was finally able to see him up close. He looked rather ill, in fact... there were dark shadows beneath his eyes and a thin, papery look about his wrinkled skin that must've quickly developed since the last time I saw him.

"The first task is designed to test your daring," he continued, "So we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard – very important… This task will take place on the twenty-fourth of November, in front of the other students and the panel of judges, understood?"

We all gave grunts or murmurs of agreement.

"Very good. Now, the champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournaments, though you may turn to your partners to prepare. Although you are partners and co-champions, there can only be one Triwizard champion, so try not to lean too heavily on each other. You will all face the first challenge armed only with your wands. You'll receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year exams."

With that, Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore. "I think that's all, is it, Albus?"

"I think so," said Dumbledore, who was looking at Mr. Crouch with mild concern. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"

Honestly, the man looked as though one gust of wind would knock him right over.

"No Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry," insisted Mr. Crouch. "It is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment. I've left young Weatherby in charge –"

Harry and I shared an amused look.

"…a little too enthusiastic, if truth be told."

"You'll come and have a drink before you go, at least?" pushed Dumbledore.

"Come on Barry, I'm staying!" said Bagman brightly. "It's all happening at Hogwarts now, you know, much more exciting here than at the office!"

"I think not, Ludo," said Crouch with a tough of impatience.

"Professor Karkaroff – Madame Maxime – a night cap?" offered Dumbledore politely.

Without a word, Madame Maxime had already put her arm around Fleur's shoulders and was leading her swiftly out of them room, with Abrial trailing behind them, seemingly deep in thought. They were both speaking rapid French and though I caught a few phrases that had me questioning our blooming friendship, they were soon gone. Karkaroff beckoned to Viktor and Georgi, and they too, exited, though in silence.

"I suggest the four of you go up to bed," said Dumbledore, now turning to us with a smile. "I am sure Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw are all waiting to celebrate with you. It would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise."

"Yes Headmaster," we chimed quietly, before filing out into the deserted Great Hall.

"Training, first thing in the morning," I said, the moment we'd fallen in step together, just ahead of Cedric and Alex.

"Same routine as before, then?" asked Harry, stepping closer to allow us to speak quietly. Cedric had always been a strong brother-figure in my life, but we were now competing against each other, and my first priority was to get Harry through this bloody tournament in one piece. If we could win it between the two of us, well, that suited me just fine.

"Absolutely not," I said firmly, the cogs in my brain already turning and whirling. "I'll have to spend some time coming up with a new program, but with these seven tasks, I have a feeling it would be best if we switched it up. I'll have to step up your physical combat training –"

"But isn't this a magical tournament?"

"Exactly why none of the other champions will expect us to resort to physical means," I stated pointedly. "How many witches or wizards throw down their wands in a duel and hit their opponent with a haymaker?"

"I know how to throw a punch, Gia," muttered Harry, rolling his eyes. "Trust me – years of fending off Dudley and his gang was plenty training."

"It's more than just throwing a punch, you prat," I hissed, slapping his arm. "I'm going to teach you how to actually fight – and win – at all costs."

"Fine, what else?"

"I'll have to comb through some of my family's library books, and I think it's time I studied my family's grimoire, but we've got to get you caught up on a wider range of spells. All of the other champions have got a three year head start, and you can better your broomstick that they'll use it to their advantage," I said darkly, brightening a bit as Cedric and Alex closed the distance between us.

"Plotting already, little sister?" drawled Cedric, tossing an arm carelessly around my shoulder.

"As you should be, as well, big brother," I replied smoothly. "Don't think I'm going to take it easy on you because of our history."

"I've never known you to take anything easy – ever in life," said Cedric, shrugging with a smile, "I don't expect this to be any different."

"What do you think the foreign champions are planning?" asked Alex, joining the conversation from Harry's left. "Neither of their Heads seemed too pleased at the end of the meeting."

"Who knows," said Harry, raking his fingers through his hair, "But we should all be careful from now on."

"You don't think –"

"You never know," Harry cut in, intercepting Cedric's oncoming question. "We don't know much about them, except the fact that they're angry we have two additional champions – willing or not. I wouldn't put it past them to try and even the playing field."

"I don't see Viktor or Fleur playing dirty like that," I said slowly, "But I couldn't say the same for their Heads. I think healthy cautious will do just fine."

"If it came to blows, I'd put my money on you, Gia," said Alex, grinning widely. "Cedric was right – bloody scary."

"Is that what you say about me when I'm not around, Ced?" I asked sweetly, looking up at the boy with wide eyes. "I'm wounded."

"As will I, if Alex doesn't keep his fat mouth shut," hissed Cedric, shooting his partner a look over our heads.

By then, we'd reached the marble staircase.

"Join me in the Hufflepuff common room?" asked Cedric, looking to his partner.

"Your House didn't seem too thrilled about your treachery," drawled Alex amusedly.

"They'll get over it," he replied flippantly. "See you two tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Alright then, goodnight."

And with that, Cedric and Alex branched off down a short hallway to the right, and started down the stone steps into the dungeons. After their footsteps had faded, Harry and I started up the steps towards the Gryffindor Tower.

"Don't worry about the other champions, Harry," I said, noticing how quiet he'd gotten during our walk. "Like I said earlier, you've been making leaps and bounds in your training, and we're going to go full force from now on."

"It's not them that I'm worried about," he said morosely. "I don't want to keep being pelted with questions and accusations about putting my name in that damn Goblet!"

Taking a moment to ponder our predicament, a tentative idea began forming in my mind. "It would probably be best to get out in front of this before the press starts circling. There's not much we can do about the other Houses, but public opinion will go a long way in keeping them off your back while we focus on getting through these tasks."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Put it out of your mind for now," I said firmly, placing a calming hand on his arm as we reached the seventh floor. "I have a feeling you'll have a lot to deal with before that."

"Like who put my name in the Goblet in the first place," said Harry, his mood darkening even further. "Clearly, someone wants me dead, and there's only one person who would go about it in such a public and elaborate way."

"Voldemort," we sighed in unison.

"If he's hoping one of the tasks or other champions will take you out for him, he's going to be sorely disappointed," I spat viciously. "But we'll worry more about that tomorrow. Just try and get as much rest as possible tonight – we've got a long road ahead of us. I'll not have you whinging all through training in the morning."

"I don't whinge!"

When we reached the Fat Lady, I was surprised to find that she was not alone. There was another wizened witch that had squeezed herself into the very little free space in the Fat Lady's portrait. The moment they saw us, they grew excited and peered down with the keenest interest.

"Well, well, well," said the Fat Lady, "Violet's just told me everything. Who's just been chosen as school champion, then?"

"Balderdash," said Harry impatiently.

"It most certainly isn't!" said the pale witch indignantly.

"No Vi, it's the password," said the Fat Lady soothing, but she swung forward on her hinges, allowing us passage.

The moment the portrait swung open and we stepped through the entrance, what sounded like a bomb detonating nearly shattered my eardrums, and I realized that it was the rest of the Gryffindors screaming and cheering. Before I knew it, we were being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and forced into the center of the entire House, still screaming, applauding and whistling.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Fred, half annoyed and half deeply impressed.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared George.

"Oh if it couldn't be me, at least we have a Gryffindor team!" said Angelina, beaming proudly.

"We'll finally be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" shrieked Katie.

"We've got food, guys! Come and have some –"

Harry had tried – really tried – to take it all in stride, but I quickly sensed his temper flaring. Before I could say anything, however, Harry pulled his wand and set off a loud bang that silenced everyone around us. "Can I just have a minute to bloody think, please?" he roared, his face reddened with anger.

Almost immediately, a wide berth of space appeared around us – our fellow housemates watching on warily and confused. In the tense silence, Harry broke away and stormed up to the boys' dorm slamming it behind him. As the party slowly, very slowly, revved back to life, I looked all around the common room until I spotted Hermione and Liz in the corner, where they'd apparently commandeered a table there.

"I figured you'd be waiting in East Tower," I said, as soon as I plopped down into an empty seat.

"We were heading up there but as soon as we got to the seventh floor, Ron stormed off and we followed," said Liz, and although I wouldn't call it nervousness, she certainly seemed uneasy about something.

"Stormed off?" I repeated.

"He's not happy, Gia," said Hermione quietly, biting her lip.

"About?"

"All of it," replied Liz, shrugging. "Harry being chosen as an additional champion, and then picking you as his partner, rather than Ron. He's gone up to the boys' dorm."

"You don't really think Harry entered himself, do you?" I asked evenly, staring them both down, the glow of my eyes reflecting in theirs.

Hermione was staring off into space, but seemed to remember something. Her eyes hardened and she shook her head firmly. "Of course Harry didn't enter," she stated plainly.

I could've kissed her right then.

"I don't think Harry's spent even a minute alone all term," Hermione said slowly, her brain working quickly. "He's always with at least one of us. He was with you all morning, Gia, and then we've been together since you two got back. Merlin, his face when his name was called…"

"He was ready to give up his magic until you went out after him," said Liz calmly. "If that wasn't proof enough, I don't know what is."

The three of us remained at table in the corner, determined to wait until Harry returned. I was staring at the door to the boys' dorm when, of course, my erratic gift chose that moment to pipe up. My eyes clouded over and suddenly, I wasn't looking at the party going on in the common room, but at the heated argument taking place behind the closed doors of the fourth year boys' dorm.

"_I don't believe this! Ron, you've been my best mate for over three years. You know better than anyone else that I hate fame and attention – what would I need more for? I thought you of all people would believe me! Merlin, even Gia believes me and we just met in September! I didn't put my name in the bloody Goblet!" Harry shouted, and the room echoed with the crackle of power flooding off of him._

"_Sure Harry," drawled Ron, his voice thick with sarcasm, "Yet you admitted just earlier that if you wanted to, you could've entered your name last night and no one would've seen you. And then, the next day – surprise, surprise – your name gets shot from the Goblet. I'm not as stupid as you might think."_

"_Yeah? Well, I'm not exactly convinced right now. I went to bed – in THIS very room – the same time as you last night. Gia came and got me around midnight, I was with her all night and morning! Ask her if you don't believe me!"_

"_I don't believe you!" Ron roared, before snorting in disgust. "As if I'd take Gia's," he said my name as if it tasted like dirt coming out of his mouth, "word for it! She probably helped you get past the Age Line! And then – just to rub it in – you choose HER as your partner instead of me! What kind of best friend would do that?"_

"_Goddamn it, Ron!" snapped Harry, pausing as a loud BOOM cracked through the air like a whip, startling everyone in the Tower. He took a deep breath and looked ready to rip his hair out. "I just told all of you – yesterday – that I've had enough of near-death experiences to last a lifetime! And you know that Gia has a better chance of helping me through these tasks!"_

"_So, I'm weak, then? Is that it? That's nice, Harry," said Ron patronizingly. "You should go to bed, mate – wouldn't want dark circles in case you get called in for a photo shoot or something."_

_He firmly and pointedly shut the curtains that surrounded his bed, leaving Harry out in the middle of the dorm, fuming._

"_Ron, you are so stupid," said Harry, sighing deeply and roughly raking his fingers through his hair. "You know you're making a mistake, and I know it too. But you're damn pride is going to ruin our friendship! We've been through everything together – including nearly being killed more times than I care to think about. And you're going to let some stupid, meaningless tournament ruin that?"_

_Harry stared at the curtains around Ron's bed, getting only silence in return. He sighed again. "You know what, Ron? Fine. I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince you that I didn't do this. Don't come crying to me when you realize I'm telling the truth."_

The argument faded away and I was once again looking around the common room. I heard the quiet sound of cloth tearing and looked down; my claws were out and had torn four, clear claw marks through the arm of the chair. My grip was so tight that my knuckles were white and I was seeing red. My eyes were filled with so much venom that anyone who glanced my way immediately scuttled to the far end of the room.

"That – that bloody idiot!" I growled, shaking with fury. "When I get my hands on him –"

"Merlin Grey, that armchair never did anything to you," said Liz idly, simply raising an eyebrow as I leveled her with a golden-eyed glare.

"Are – are you alright?" asked Hermione tentatively.

"You'll – see," I managed to bite out.

Sure enough, Harry slammed open the dorm door so hard it hit the wall behind it and bounced back. The party slowed as everyone stared at Harry, but Hermione and Liz jumped up when I did. Harry spotted us and jerked his head curtly towards the portrait hole, and set off before watching to see if we followed him.

"Harry, slow down!" Hermione called as we power-walked after him. Before I could warn her, she reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Ah!" she screamed, snatching her arm back. I grimaced, knowing just how much it hurt to be on the receiving end of one of Harry's shocks.

"Bloody – argh!" growled Harry, grasping his hair in both hands as he hurried back towards us, where Hermione was cradling her hand. He didn't touch her, but hovered worriedly. "I'm sorry Mione, I didn't mean to."

Luckily, though unfortunate for Hermione, knowing he'd unintentionally hurt his friend seemed to have snapped Harry out of his furious haze.

"It's fine, Harry," said Hermione, grimacing as I cast a general healing charm over her hand for the pain.

We crossed the seventh floor and the moment we'd turned the corner, Draco leapt up from where he'd been sitting on the floor. "Gia, what the –" he paused upon seeing the looks on our faces and remained silent as I let everyone through Isavéla's portrait.

We bypassed the dimly lit common room and headed straight up the marble staircase to my bedroom, where Nova leapt from where she'd been curled up in the middle of the bed. She circled my legs, yowling happily, until I dropped onto the mattress, the full weight of the day pressing down on me until all I could was lie on my back and stare up at the canopy. Hermione and Liz both plopped down onto the chaise lounge, Draco sat on the long, padded windowsill, and Harry paced back and forth, surely wearing my rug thin. No one said a word for at least five minutes.

"What happened when you all left?" asked Hermione tentatively, eyeing Harry warily.

Seeing that he seemed in no shape to explain, I took the next fifteen minutes going over the meeting that had taken place in the antechamber off the Great Hall.

"…and they've agreed to conduct an investigation, but it's been decided – we're both going to compete," I finished tiredly. "But we've still got to figure out how this happened in the first place, on top of everything else."

"Of course," sighed Hermione, gathering her hair up into a bun.

"Bloody hell, Potter," said Draco shakily, "And to think I used to want to be you."

"Let me know when you're ready to switch bodies, Malfoy," snapped Harry, shooting Draco an apologetic look afterwards.

"I like the skin I'm in, thanks," was Draco's drawled reply.

"It's funny, really," Harry said, no amusement in his tone whatsoever, "I'm old enough to risk my life to save this bloody school every year, but I'm not old enough to have a say in what happens in my life in between all of that."

He paused, looking at the fire and then growled, which turned into an angry, long yell and he gripped his hair. "I am so tired of this," he said, once he'd finally gotten control of himself again. "It almost makes me wish Hagrid had never come to that bloody house to tell me who I am – _what _I am."

"Don't say that, Harry…" Hermione whispered sadly, clutching the heart-shaped locket I'd gotten her on our last shopping trip. Inside was a picture of the five of us: Hermione, Harry, Liz, me, and…Ron.

"I'll give you _one_ guess – one – as to who's causing the trouble this year," spat Harry, hopping up from the bed again to continue his incessant pacing.

Hermione and Liz shared a look.

"Voldemort?" asked Hermione tentatively. Harry huffed.

Draco looked rather pale – well, paler than usual. "Are you sure you want me here for this conversation?" he asked uncertainly.

"Oh you're knee-deep in this now, Malfoy," said Harry, laughing without humor, "Welcome to the club, mate."

"You're mad…" said Draco, nodding convincingly to himself, though he remained seated at the window.

"Doesn't that – that _thing_ ever quit?" spat Liz rhetorically.

"Of course not, I'm just lucky you believe me," said Harry, sighing and running his fingers through his hair again.

"So you really didn't do it, Potter?" asked Draco quietly. "What?" he said defensively as four pairs of eyes shot to him.

"No, I didn't. This is the last thing I wanted this year."

"Harry, I've been one of your best friends for over three years," exclaimed Hermione, leaning forward. "One look at your face after your name had been called, and I knew."

"I may not have known you as long as Hermione, but I know _you_ Harry, and I knew you didn't enter your own name," I said firmly. "You told us yourself that you wouldn't enter, and I know you've been with me since last night –" I ignored the looks Draco and Liz shot me. "Like Hermione said, you haven't had a moment alone all term. When would you have had time to put your name in the Goblet?"

"What they said," was Liz's calm, nonchalant reply. "I can't believe Ron is being so stupid about this."

"Oh, I can," said Draco, rolling his eyes. "It's obvious he's jealous."

"What?" snapped Harry.

"I'm not baiting you, Potter, relax," Draco said, holding up his hands in surrender, "but I'm not stupid or blind. Don't attack me – but Weasley's been riding your coattails since first year. After the snake attack, I told you lot that he was the one that let the details slip – that's how the whole school knew about it before you'd even gotten out of the Hospital Wing, Gia. He's tired of being Potter's sidekick, and now this happens, just when the snake business has died down. Like the old coot said: fame, eternal glory, a thousand bloody galleons… and the chance to achieve it all goes to – ding, ding, ding – the already famous, already rich, Harry Potter. Weasley's jealous, simple as that. And then you picked Gia as your partner, rather than him – though anyone with half a brain knows that she's much smarter and stronger than he is."

We were all quiet as we digested his words.

"I think he's right Harry," started Hermione tentatively. "Look, it's always you who gets all the attention, you know that. We know it's not your fault," she added quickly at his furious expression, "And we know you don't want it or ask for it, but it's how it is. And well – you know, Ron's already got five brothers to compete with at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous. He's always shunted to the side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this was just one time too many…"

"Great," said Harry bitterly. "Bloody brilliant. Tell him I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him he's welcome to it. At least he's got a family. You know what I have? People gawping at my forehead everywhere I go –"

"I'm not telling him anything," said Hermione shortly. "You'll tell him yourself. It's the only way to sort this out. He's your best friend, Harry."

"I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" said Harry, his voice rising in his anger "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or –"

"That is not funny, Harry," I growled, shuddering at the image. "That's not funny at all – don't talk like that."

"Sorry…" he grumbled, before sighing again, as if his very soul weighed a ton.

"We'll deal with Ron later," I said finally.

"This is my life, either way," said Harry, sighing and throwing himself onto the bed beside me, "I wasn't too surprised after it had sunk in, you know? There's a dangerous contest that can possibly get you killed going on at Hogwarts, so of course, my name comes out of the Goblet. This time it isn't possessed teachers, three-headed dogs, giant spiders, a basilisk, or a hundred Dementors…it's a goddamn tournament."

"How are you still breathing?" asked Draco, his eyebrows high.

"Good friends and pure luck," was Harry's clipped reply.

"Cut it out, prat," I growled half-heartedly. "You're an amazing, intelligent, and powerful wizard in your own right. Yes, you've had help along the way – there's no shame in that. But you _are_ going to get through this – and you'll have us by your side to help. You chose me as your partner for a reason, and I'll be damned if I spent these months helping you just for you to die on me in this tournament."

"I wish Ron felt the same," Harry muttered, flinging himself on his back.

Hermione huffed. "Ron is an idiot, we all knew that. But he'll come to his senses… eventually," she said uncertainly.

"What about the other Houses? What do they think?" asked Harry, tilting his head to see us all at once.

"The Hufflepuffs are adamant that you stole their one shot at finally getting some recognition and glory, they all hate you," Liz said bluntly, and Harry groaned. "They were pretty upset with Cedric for picking that Sykes guy as his partner, but I'm sure they'll be over it by morning. You, on the other hand…"

"I will talk to Cedric and see if he can get them off your back. Cedric's a good guy and he saw you give your oath in that room," I interjected quickly.

"Oath?" asked Hermione.

"Harry gave a magical oath that he didn't enter his own name into the Goblet," I explained, but only Draco and Liz seemed to understand the significance of this. "A magical oath is not to be taken lightly, Hermione. If one gives the oath, they're offering up their magic – and essentially their life – if they're lying. It's one of the only true ways to determine if someone is truthful or loyal. In the old days, many Lords required their allies to swear oaths of loyalty and fealty. Even a version of this oath is spoken at magical weddings – more traditional weddings, at least. That's why divorce is a nearly unheard of occurrence in our world. When you marry someone, you're typically in it for life, unless there are extenuating circumstances."

"Cho Chang," Liz sneered as she said her name, "She's a Ravenclaw – supposedly dating Cedric – she's turned Ravenclaw House against you, in support of her boyfriend. But she's an airhead and – well, let's just say she's a frequent flyer in the broom closets if you know what I mean."

"Slytherin would rather see Diggory champion than you, Potter," said Draco unapologetically, "Just on principle. I know you don't care what we think, and you know I can't openly support you, but I'll try to keep the more extreme Slytherins in line. Can't focus on the tournament if you're worried about getting hexed with your back turned."

Harry stared at Draco, long enough that he made the blonde boy uncomfortable. "Err – thanks, Malfoy. I appreciate that," he said slowly, almost uncertainly. He and Draco were still getting used to being cordial, but any progress was fine by me. If I had to break up another fight between them, they were both getting chucked off the Astronomy Tower.

"And well, you've seen the other Gryffindors for yourself," added Hermione, and Harry huffed and rolled his eyes at that.

"They're not helping," he said, groaning. "They're celebrating as if I wanted this. They're reinforcing the insult to the rest of the school."

"The only thing we can really do," I said, "is be prepared for anything, which we've already been doing for the past two months."

Hermione looked at us in confusion, and we finally explained what our 'self-study' periods consisted of. Needless to say, Hermione was very impressed and insisted on joining us.

"You'd need a free period," I pointed out. Hermione grimaced and pondered the issue. Very slowly, she seemed to come to a decision.

"I could give up Arithmacy and make it a self-study period," she suggested softly.

We all stared at her, amazed. We knew how much her classes meant to her. "Are you sure, Mione?" I asked seriously. "You can still pick it back up next year or just take the OWLs and NEWTs for credit but…are you sure?"

"Anything for a friend," said Hermione firmly, mirroring my words to Hagrid earlier that evening.

"I've already been skipping Ancient Runes all term to workout with Gia," said Liz, shrugging carelessly, "Count me in."

"Me too."

Now, it was our turn to stare at Draco.

"What?" he snapped indignantly. "Why should I be the only one that gets left out of the cool training sessions?"

"What if someone from your House sees you? What if your father finds out?" asked Harry. He seemed almost…concerned for Draco's well-being.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Gia can just do her creepy, shadow thing to get me back and forth," he said, ignoring my indignant glare. "And as for my father, well, Christmas is coming – I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

The mention of Lord Malfoy brought down the full weight of all the problems, mysteries, and questions that had already arisen since term began, not to mention the ever-present threat of my father hovering over my shoulder.

When was it going to end? News of the Triwizard Tournament and the chosen champions was bound to make it into the newspapers, and would pretty much be a giant arrow showing my father where I was and what I was up to. The last thing I needed was him showing up at the castle, pretending to be a supportive parent.

We talked late into the night, planning and speculating on what Harry and I could expect in the tournament and what else could possibly happen from that point on. Eventually, we were all yawning over and over, and I finally called our impromptu meeting to a close. Liz bid us goodnight and headed into the room she'd already moved into to my left, with Draco following suit and taking the room to my right. Hermione took the room on Liz's left, and Harry reluctantly took the room on Draco's right. I called Prim to sneak into the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms to gather their clothes and things for the next day.

Dimming the fire in the common room and in my bedroom, I changed into satin shorts and a sports bra before climbing into bed. I suppose that after such a hectic day, Nova wanted to stay close to me because she curled up on my bed rather than seeking out Liz. I had been lying in bed for hours, thinking, when I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door.

Wondering which friend of mine couldn't sleep, I waved my hand and the door slowly swung open. It was Harry, standing there in basketball shorts and socks, but no shirt. He was rubbing his tired eyes, and I knew that he'd probably been awakened from his sleep by a nightmare. Silently, I held open the edge of the satin comforter.

Without a word, Harry closed the door behind him and crossed the room, climbing into bed beside me. We settled into the same position as the night before and, within minutes, we were both sound asleep.

The next morning, once again, I awoke to the feeling of the sun on my back, my face buried in the crook of Harry's neck, calmly inhaling his natural scent that drove me wild. I hadn't even fully awakened yet when I heard my bedroom door open slowly.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise. She blushed as I blearily lifted my head up.

She tried to back out of the room, but I silently motioned for her to come in. She did, looking fairly embarrassed, but sat in the same seat she had the night before. I saw that she was already showered and dressed in clothes I had bought her. Today, she wore simple dark blue skinny jeans, a turquoise sweater, and white trainers. Her hair was still pulled up in a messy bun, and she looked pretty relaxed all things considered.

Very carefully, I unraveled myself from Harry's arms and slid out of bed. I saw Hermione blush even darker when she saw my chosen pajamas.

"Morning Mione," I whispered through a yawn.

"Morning," she mumbled. Her cheeks pinked as she opened her mouth to say something. "Are you two –?"

"No, you'd be the first to know if we were," I promised quietly.

Nodding, Hermione curled up with a book she'd had tucked under her arm and I wandered into the bathroom. About thirty minutes later, I emerged wrapped only in my towel, only this time, Liz and Draco were both present. Hermione glanced up, and I wasn't sure if she'd finally gotten used to my lack of physical modesty or if she was too absorbed in her charms spellbook to really care. Liz mumbled a greeting, still half-asleep, and she seemed to have brought a small blanket with her and curled up on the windowsill, gazing down at the grounds. Draco was the only one who seemed stunned and flustered at my current state of undress, so of course, I shot him a teasing wink before disappearing into my closet.

Taking a page from Hermione's book, I opted for something comfortable and casual. I decided on thick, loose black joggers, a black crop-sweater (which I spelled to have a lightning bolt on the front), and bright yellow trainers. I dressed, towel dried my long hair, and pulled it up into a messy bun similar to Hermione's, before rejoining my friends.

"You look cute," said Hermione absently, turning the page she was on.

"In sweats?" I said again, reminiscent of the same conversation I'd had with Harry multiple times.

"You make everything look attractive," she said, shrugging.

"Can't argue with her there," Draco piped up, though his eyes weren't on me, they were gazing at Hermione intently.

The four of us lounged around the room for about an hour as Harry slept. Nova had eventually hopped up onto the windowsill and curled up in Liz's lap in kitten form, purring as she was petted.

A little while later, Harry finally woke up. He opened his eyes slowly and sat up, rubbing the sleep away from his face before looking all around him. He happened to notice me first and mumbled," Good morning Gia," with a smile.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," I replied, smiling even wider as Draco snorted from where he sat beside Hermione on the chaise.

Harry finally really looked around at everyone present and sighed deeply, probably remembering the events of Halloween night. "Morning all," he added.

"Morning," said Hermione, Liz, and Draco. Thankfully, no one else commented on the fact that Harry had been sound asleep in my bed in the first place.

As Harry rummaged through the small rack of clothes he kept in my closet for occasions such as this, I absently went through a simple stretching routine. Cracking my neck, I watched as Liz sat cross-legged on the windowsill, utterly still as she seemed to be meditating. Hermione still had her head in her charms book, and Draco had popped open his Broom Servicing Kit and was currently polishing his broomstick, though his eyes kept wandering over to Hermione every few moments.

We all waited patiently as Harry showered and got himself ready for the day, and I'm sure we were all curious as to what he wanted to do next after what had gone down at the feast last night. We should've been training, but I decided that Harry could use one last day of hopeful relaxation before we dove in. I'd have to remember to catch Cedric and talk to him about his House. There wasn't much we could do for Ravenclaw, or even Slytherin but I knew Draco would try his best.

"What's that you're reading, Granger?" asked Draco, leaning in particularly close as he looked over Hermione's shoulder and peered down at the page she was currently on. As I folded forward and grasped the back of my ankles, looking at them upside down as I stretched, I watched as a small grin turned Hermione's lips. Her cheeks had pinked ever so slightly, but she tilted her head to the side and allowed Draco a better look at the page she was on, their cheeks practically touching.

"The _Exomento_ Hex," read Draco curiously, "Causes" – he broke off and his face turned funny – "Causes the victim to suddenly and violently lose control of their bowels. The eloquently named _Poo Hex_. Really, Granger?"

"What?" asked Hermione defensively as Liz and I burst into laughter, I nearly toppled over on my head. "I wasn't studying this one specifically, it just happened to be the page I was on when you looked."

"No, no, it's fine," said Draco, sarcastic and teasing, forcing Hermione's face to flush again, "I'll have to remember that one."

"Prat," huffed Hermione under her breath, though her silly smile betrayed her, even as she ducked back behind her book.

"Know-it-all," Draco shot back softly, grinning rather stupidly himself.

Liz and I shared a look, twin smirks gracing our lips. It looked like I wouldn't have to do anything at all, and was content to sit back and watch the magic happen all on its own.

"What'd I miss?" asked Harry, emerging from the bathroom, fully dressed, and towel drying his wild curls. He was wearing an outfit identical to mine, I immediately noticed: loose, black joggers, black trainers, and – the cutest of all – a black sweater that he'd spelled to have a lightning bolt on the chest, just like mine.

"Always trying to be like me, eh Potter?" I teased, squealing as Harry immediately snatched me off the floor and tossed me over his shoulder so that I was upside down. "You put me down right now, wonder boy!" I shouted, playfully beating on his back.

"You're lucky that tub's empty cause I'd toss you in right now," threatened Harry, setting me on my feet with a giant grin. I was happy to see that he was in somewhat better spirits today.

"And you're lucky I don't drop you in the Black Lake right now!" I shot back, jabbing him in the chest with my finger. "Anyone hungry?"

"Ugh, I thought you'd never ask!" groaned Draco, quickly packing up his broom kit and banishing it all, to his room I assumed.

Hermione and Liz nodded in agreement, but Harry hesitated.

"Don't worry," I said, "we're not going down to the Great Hall. I figured you wouldn't want everyone staring and pointing. We'd probably both have detention by the end of it."

"Too right," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Prim!" I called.

Immediately, an obviously well-taken care of house-elf appeared, and curtsied to me with a huge smile. "Mistress Gia has called Prim?" She squeaked happily.

"Yes, I did. Do you mind going down to the kitchens, and bringing us up some breakfast, please?"

Prim nodded. "Thank you, Prim. We'll be down in the common room." And with that, she popped away.

"Come on, look alive!" I snapped playfully, clapping my hands. "Get your asses downstairs!"

"Absolute menace," muttered Liz, as she strode past me towards the door. "No wonder Nova would rather sleep in my bed – ARGH!" she yelled as I shot a mild stinging hex at her bum.

"Keep the back-talk to a minimum, Moon," I said, shrugging as she shot me a glare and descended the stairs. "Come on, love," I grabbed Harry's hand and tugged him towards the door.

We had just taken the first couple steps down towards the common room, when I overheard Draco.

"Come on, Granger, you need food," he was saying, still seated beside her on the chaise.

"One more page," she muttered absently, her eyes probably never moving from the page. "Hey, I was reading that!" She whined, and I figured he'd plucked the book from her hands.

"Food, first – then reading," was Draco's firm reply.

Hermione groaned dramatically but I heard them both rise to their feet. "You're as bad as Gia, honestly _dad_," she said sarcastically.

"I'll accept 'my lord', as well," Draco shot back, and I knew from his tone that he'd given her one of his famous smirks.

They finally appeared at the top of the stairs as Harry and I stepped off the last one and, sure enough, Hermione's face held a pinkish tinge.

"Ha, you're no Lord yet, Draco," I teased, unable to help myself.

"But I am," said Harry, grinning down at me and throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Will you address me as 'my lord'?"

"In your dreams, wonder boy," I scoffed, shoving him away.

"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Hermione as we all took seats around the large coffee table.

Almost immediately, an entire breakfast spread appeared before us, complete with jugs for water, coffee, and pumpkin juice.

"I love that elf," I said, already reaching for a plate to fill, but Hermione, Liz, and Draco were all still staring at Harry, waiting for an answer.

He glanced over at me and I shrugged – it wasn't my call. If they were going to find out, he'd have to be the one to tell them. Rolling his eyes at my neutrality, Harry held out his left hand and willed the golden Potter signet ring to appear. Hermione gasped and quickly leaned forward to study it. Liz didn't care too much for the wizarding Britain hierarchy but she looked mildly interested. Draco was unnervingly quiet as he fixed his own breakfast from the spread on the table.

"Harry, when –"

"Two nights ago," he said, anticipating her question. "Gia came and got me from the dorm, and we went to Gringotts…"

And with that, the floodgates were open and we spent breakfast listening to Harry rehash the details of his two meetings at the bank. Though Hermione seemed shocked and horrified at Dumbledore's actions, Draco and Liz were completely unsurprised.

"…so now I'm Lord Potter, I suppose," he finished about twenty minutes later, shrugging. "I've got loads to do to get my family back in proper standing and Gia's going to train me in all the boring pureblood stuff –"

"Actually Harry," I finally spoke up, my thoughts racing throughout his entire story, "Draco might be a better cotillion tutor than me."

"What?" Harry and Draco asked simultaneously.

"It's not that I don't want to, but now that I think about it, there are quite a few differences in the way that girls and boys are trained, so Draco would probably be a better tutor – if he doesn't mind, of course. Plus, it'll give me more time to focus on your other training and preparing for the tournament."

"_Our_ training," said Liz pointedly.

"Right – that," I said dismissively, sticking a tongue out at her glare.

"Well, what do you say, Malfoy? Are you finally ready to convert me into the pureblood asshole you've always wanted me to be?" Harry asked, grinning across the table at his Slytherin counterpart.

To my surprise, Draco returned his grin with a calculating one of his own. "Well, when you put it like that…" he drawled, "how can I refuse?"

"Brilliant!" I clapped my hands excitedly.

"I was thinking…I want to tour the properties my family owns," said Harry slowly. It was clearly something he'd been thinking about heavily. "I have no clue what sort of shape they're in and I suppose I'll need one ready by the summer break."

"Harry's got three castles," I said conspiratorially, smiling broadly at their dumbstruck expressions.

"What the hell are you going to do with three castles?" Liz asked curiously, her eyes gleaming. "I'm sure there are all sorts of cool medieval crap in them."

"Well…" Harry started, and then hesitated.

"Go on, what is it?" Hermione said encouragingly.

"It might sound stupid but…I was _thinking _– and I know it'll probably take years to accomplish – but I was thinking I could use one as a sort of…wizarding orphanage. You know…for kids like me, who end up with muggle families that don't tolerate magic. I'm sure it would be preferable to a muggle orphanage as well."

I know I wasn't the only one that was floored.

"It's just an idea," said Harry quickly, backtracking and scratching the back of his neck.

"I think that's a beautiful and amazing idea, Harry," said Hermione, her eyes shining. "It's a wonder no one's ever done it before."

"I can't imagine how many magical kids are in the muggle world, without a clue as to who they are or why they can do the things they do," Liz pondered aloud, leaning back in her seat. "It's a very admirable and worthy goal, Harry."

"Yeah well…if I can spare another child the sort of childhood I had, then I'll do whatever I can," said Harry, more confident now. "Of course, I'd have to find a way to be able to track those kinds of kids down in the muggle world."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Draco piped up finally, "There's the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes within the Ministry. They should have records of areas where accidental magic is frequently performed; shouldn't be impossible to determine if it's from a wizarding family or a muggle family with a wizarding child."

"And how I am going to access these records?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow.

"You're Harry Potter," I said, as if it should've been obvious. "I'm sure they'd deliver that list on a golden owl if you asked them to. I know you hate your celebrity status Harry, but on top of being Lord Potter, you could probably accomplish anything you wanted if you used it properly."

"We'd need caretakers," Hermione started excitedly, her mind already racing with the possibilities, "People who truly love children and genuinely want to look after them. And maybe teachers? I don't know how wizarding primary schooling is set up, but I know it'd be a big relief for those kids if they're better prepared before they start at Hogwarts. There was so much about this world that I didn't know when I got my letter, and I had to read up on so many things that wizarding children already knew. It might make them feel more…acclimated to this world and at home, as if they belong here."

"I know exactly what you mean," Harry agreed fervently. "Maybe I should put you in charge of this project – the…err…the Potter Primary School of Magic!"

"I like that it doesn't have 'orphanage' in its name," I commented.

"Now you've done it," grumbled Draco playfully as Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Oh, really Harry?" Hermione was positively beaming with excitement at the prospect.

"Think you can tear yourself away from SPEW?" I teased, ducking under a grape as she tossed it at me. "I like the idea, though, honestly. We could hire in-house medi-witches and wizards – who knows what kind of condition these kids will arrive in. They'll need all the support they can get."

Harry grimaced but nodded firmly.

"And maybe – maybe hire a team of goblins from the bank to run heritage tests on them," Draco suggested tentatively.

"You're bloody brilliant!" I exclaimed, already seeing where his thought process was headed.

"We already knew that," he scoffed, buffing his nails on his shirt.

"Before Malfoy's head gets any bigger," said Harry, "mind explaining to the rest of us?"

"Well, there are probably dozens – hundreds – of wizarding bloodlines that have gone dormant or died out entirely," I started slowly. "But like I told you before, magic doesn't just appear on its own – there's likely a magical ancestor farther down the line even if the ability has been filtered out or temporarily vanished over time."

"Right," said Draco, picking up, "So if any of those kids have even a drop of blood that can be tested and traced back to a wizarding family, it's likely that they can place a claim to take it over."

"What would that mean for them?" asked Hermione, and I could already see the questions in her eyes – the possibilities.

"Well, if the child takes a heritage blood test and they're found to be descended from a wizarding bloodline, if there are no closer or stronger claims to the family, that child would have an established name and line in this world. There's nothing wrong with being muggleborn," I said quickly, "But imagine how happy a previously nameless orphan would be finding out that they're descended from some ancient family? They'd have a name, a history and family tree they can trace and belong to. They'd likely have gold and properties, resources, possibly even living relatives they never knew about. I'm sure the goblins would be only too happy to get those dormant vaults in the bank up and running again. To them, it's like money going to waste just sitting there."

"And it could help boost the wizarding population here in Britain," added Liz thoughtfully. "There would be more active bloodlines than in the last few centuries, and an influx of fresh blood to mix with. A lot of those families died out due to inbreeding or refusing to mingle with _lesser _bloodlines."

"I hate to say it, but she's right," Draco grimaced, stroking his chin in thought. "A lot of the rubbish my father spews is about how interbreeding with anyone other than purebloods makes the magic weaker, but the opposite has actually been proven. Besides, the more variety a bloodline has, the more powers and abilities have a chance of cropping up."

"Like with me," I jumped back in, my body vibrating with excitement now. "Whether I have kids with a wizard or a muggle, my children are likely to carry my Lycan blood and mix with whatever's in my husband's line. So if his family has an affinity for mind magics, or elemental magic," – Harry started at that – "Or even another magical being, that's a whole new possibility of power for my children."

"You think my kids could be born with the Parseltongue trait?" asked Harry curiously.

"It's certainly possible," I raised my hands and shrugged.

"You don't think…" Hermione started, and she glanced at Draco, as if embarrassed to voice her question in front of him, "That I could trace my magic back to a witch or wizard?"

"It's certainly worth a shot," I said firmly. "I'd be curious as to which of your parents carry the wizarding trait."

"My bet would be my dad," said Hermione, smiling and shaking her head. "He's been obsessed with Quidditch ever since I explained it to him back in first year."

"Whenever you're ready Mione, we can go and get you tested."

With that, we fell into amicable silence as we worked through the rest of the food on the table, each lost in our own thoughts.

"Well it's Sunday," said Harry, eventually breaking the silence, "What do you lot want to do today?"

I pondered for a second. "Well, I suppose we could go flying. I haven't been since before term started, and it's always been able to clear my head."

Harry's face lit up. "Of course, me too! But –" he looked at Hermione, "Hermione doesn't fly."

"We could set her and Liz up in the stands with warming charms, she's so absorbed in that book I doubt she'll care," I suggested. We both looked at Hermione, who was indeed, wrapped up in her book again.

"Are you in, Malfoy?" asked Harry.

"Of course – they're mental for canceling the season this year," Draco replied, rolling his eyes.

"What kind of brooms have you got?" he asked.

"Firebolt," Draco and I said in unison.

"Really? When'd you upgrade, Malfoy?"

"Late birthday gift over the summer – mum insisted," he shrugged lightly.

Soon enough, Prim returned to clean up the mess and the five of us grabbed our wands – and books, in Hermione and Liz's case – and left East Tower. I summoned all three of our brooms on the way down and we spilled out onto the ground and to the pitch.

The sun was high in the sky and though there were hardly any clouds, it was certainly a chilly day – almost perfect conditions for flying. After setting Hermione and Liz up in the stands with cushioning and warming charms, the boys and I returned to the pitch and warmed ourselves up.

"You ready?" I called to them, redoing my bun a bit tighter to keep the hair out of my eyes.

They responded by swinging their legs over their brooms, and soon enough, we'd kicked off and soared into the sky. The wind rushed around me and the moment my feet had left the ground, so had my worries. I felt light – weightless – as if I could take on the world. I briefly considered hanging back for Harry and Draco so that we could fly together, but my spirit said otherwise.

Letting out a joyous whoop, I zoomed straight up as high as I dared, and paused only to take in the view – the castle and grounds, the Forbidden Forest, and the expanse of the Black Lake – before playfully leaning backwards into a dive. My broom followed every slight adjustment of my body and I was shooting towards the grassy ground at top speed.

"Gia!" someone shouted, but I couldn't be bothered to stop or slow down.

Fifty…

Thirty…

Twenty feet from the ground and I turned in a corkscrew spin.

Five feet and I gently jerked the handle of my broom up, going parallel to the pitch's grass and then shot back up into the sky with ease. That familiar rush of adrenaline and excitement all came flooding back, and it was all I could do not to howl at the sky.

"Show off!" Draco shouted as I steadied my broom, grasping it with my thighs as I stretched my arms high overhead.

"Where'd you learn to fly like that?" called Harry as they both flew towards me.

"From watching me, of course," scoffed Draco, flicking his windswept hair out of his face.

"Oh please, I see it's been so long since I wiped the pitch with you that your memories gone bad!" I taunted, reminiscing on the few happy memories I had from spending time at Malfoy Manor as a child.

With that, the three of us began zipping around the pitch, executing a series of dives, spins, loops, and even practicing Viktor's signature move, the Wronski Feint. Not only did I have two of my best guy friends out on the pitch with me, but they were actually talking and laughing with each other without me pushing the conversation along. Harry looked so much lighter on his broom, the stress and terror from the previous night had been temporarily pushed to the side. We glanced over at Hermione and Liz every so often to make sure they were okay, but they were either absorbed in their books or had their heads together in conversation. At some point, we simply hovered and watched the peaceful scenery that was Hogwarts. The magic in the air was so wonderful, I never wanted to leave.

"If only the rest of the castle was this peaceful," said Draco, staring out over the seemingly never-ending expanse of the forest.

"I could stay up here all day," Harry agreed.

It was during one of our random checkups on Hermione and Liz that we saw Viktor walking up the stands, his broom slung over one shoulder, where he stopped and started talking to them.

"What do you think they're talking about?" I called over the wind.

"Beats me," said Harry shrugging

We watched as Hermione looked up from her book, and responded to something Viktor said. Even with my advanced hearing, they were too far away and the wind was blowing too much for me to be able to hear them. At one point, we saw Viktor ask Hermione something, causing her to look over at Harry and me, and she hesitated before answering. Whatever she said seemed to make Viktor deflate slightly before he looked over at me.

He smiled and waved, which I returned. "Hey Viktor, come and fly with us!" I called. I heard Harry just barely stifle a groan and looked over my shoulder at him. I smirked at him, and raised my eyebrows. "You're not scared of a little competition, are you, wonder boy?" I teased.

"Oh please," scoffed Harry, immediately defensive.

Even Draco laughed. "Well, here's your chance to prove it, Potter."

Sure enough, Viktor had mounted his broom and kicked off right from the stands. Harry was an amazingly talented flyer, he was truly gifted…but Viktor flew as if his broom was a literal extension of himself. It was like watching the World Cup all over again.

"Hello Gia," greeted Viktor, coasting beside me and pulling me into a one-armed hug. "Potter," he said, and hesitated, looking at Draco, "…Malfoy, yes?"

"Yes, nice to meet you," said Draco calmly, even shaking his hand.

"Are you playing a game or just flying?" asked Viktor, staring at me intently.

"Just flying, is that okay?"

He nodded and, with that, we were off again.

Immediately, it was very apparent why Viktor was the youngest professional Quidditch player in the league. The three of us were almost as good, but of course, while I was content to fly around and get my own heart pounding with some daring stunts, the boys had to try and outdo each other.

Boys…

"Oi," I called after we had been out there for an hour. "Let's make this interesting."

Both Harry and Viktor raised eyebrows. "How?" they asked in unison, shooting each other annoyed looks.

Draco and I looked at each other, and he shrugged behind their backs. At least he wasn't acting like a complete idiot.

"Let's release a snitch, and see who can catch it first," I said slowly.

The moment I made the suggestion, it was clear that they were excited for another excuse to show off.

Merlin, what did I get myself into?

"Hermione!" shouted Harry, cupping his hands around his mouth.

She looked up at us, obviously annoyed at being interrupted again. Liz continued thumbing through her book, having long since blocked us out.

"Can you get us a snitch from the locker rooms?" He asked.

Giving a very dramatic groan, Hermione waved her wand, and suddenly, the standard trunk of Quidditch balls came zooming out of the locker rooms in the lower level of the castle. It touched down at the center of the pitch and the lid popped open. Even from our altitude, we could see the Bludgers struggling to escape their restraints, but my attention was instantly caught by the flash of gold that shot off into the sky.

"Well, I could've done that," said Harry, shaking his head.

"So why didn't you?" Draco shot back, unable to resist.

"You're such a muggle sometimes," I added, laughing harder at Harry's glare.

The four of us allowed the snitch a thirty second head-start to get lost, and then we all shot off in different directions. Being the only girl on the pitch, I had no qualms about using my inhuman advantages, and within five minutes, I had already caught the snitch three times.

"Surely you boys can do better than that?" I teased, grinning at their thunderstruck expressions. "Come on ladies, make me break a sweat!"

Determined to win, the boys insisted and we played for over an hour, with each of us pulling increasingly difficult and dangerous stunts to catch the snitch. When it was all said and done, the scores leveled out as:

_Viktor: 15_

_Me: 12_

_Harry and Draco: 10_

"Bloody hell, Gia!" grumbled Harry playfully, "If you keep this up, the Gryffindor team will be demanding that you replace me as seeker."

"Oh please, I'm a much better Chaser than I am a Seeker," I said, unabashed.

Harry gained a dazed, hungry look in his eyes.

"Please tell me you're trying out next year!" he begged insistently.

"The Slytherin team will be practicing every single night if you join the Gryffindor team," said Draco apprehensively.

But I was stuck.

Until Harry had mentioned it, I hadn't really given much thought to anything beyond fourth year. Even with the drama and mystery that had immediately surrounded us, I loved Hogwarts and the friends that I'd made. I suppose I hadn't expected to make it this far – to get the opportunity to return for my fifth year.

"You should consider going pro," said Viktor calmly. "I could talk to some recruiters for you…"

As touched as I was that he'd even offered, an image of my father flashed through my mind. The thought of a professional Quidditch career was the dream of many, but I knew that I couldn't get my hopes up or enjoy anything too immensely until I dealt with my demons.

Instead, I gave Viktor a dazzling smile. "Well, thank you; it's way too early to be talking about going pro, but I'll be thinking about it closer to graduation."

Even as I said this, another image flashed – a happier one; an image of me clad in the robes of the Holyhead Harpies, my favorite team in the league.

"I suppose that means you'll have to keep in touch then," said Viktor suddenly, giving me a rare smile. "It vould be a shame to let such talent go to waste."

Was Viktor…flirting with me?

Judging from the tight-jawed expression on Harry's face, he most certainly was.

"I suppose so," was my simple reply. "You're very sweet, Viktor."

"For you, Gia, anything," he said, before glancing over his shoulder towards the Durmstrang ship, still tethered in the Black Lake. "I must go now – Karkaroff vill be looking for me."

After Viktor had begged off flying any longer, Harry, Draco, and I gathered Hermione and Liz and headed back up to East Tower. We all split up and went to separate rooms to shower, before meeting back up in the common room, where Prim had already laid out an enormous lunch.

We ate in amicable silence for a while, before Hermione spoke up. "Have any of you wondered about this whole Goblet business?" She started.

Harry scoffed. "Every minute since it happened," he said.

"What about it, Granger?" asked Draco, going in for another bite of roast beef.

"I meant have you wondered who actually put your name in the Goblet. We've deduced that Voldemort is behind it all, but there must be someone working for him inside the castle."

All four of us looked at Draco.

"What?" he snapped defensively. "If the dark lord is involved, then surely it must be a Slytherin helping him, huh?"

"Well…" said Liz, splaying her hands.

"I don't think a student could've fooled the Goblet, or Dumbledore, for that matter," I said slowly. "We all saw what happened to the twins."

"But couldn't a seventh year just have crossed the Age Line, but put my name on the parchment instead of theirs?" asked Harry.

We all looked at each other.

"I can't be sure," said Hermione with a sigh. "It's not like we have an official copy of the rules."

"Maybe there's an enchantment on the Goblet that prevents you from entering anyone but yourself," suggested Liz thoughtfully, "You know, so people can't enter anyone else as a prank or – in Harry's case – to get them killed."

"That would make much more sense," said Draco. "So if we go with the assumption that you can only enter yourself if you're a student who does that leave us with? The professors?"

Hermione bit her lip. "I suppose, but going with that theory, does the spell include the Headmasters from Durmstrang and Beauxbaton?"

I looked at her knowingly. "You think it was Karkaroff, don't you?"

"He makes a more likely suspect than Madame Maxime, I'll give you that," Liz huffed, smiling slightly. "It'd be a bit hard for her to go sneaking around the entrance hall without anyone noticing."

"It's that slightly creepy, uneasy feeling he gives off, isn't it?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded.

"But remember your first year," I said suddenly, "how you all suspected Snape, and it was really Quirrell. We can't afford to jump to conclusions without proof this time."

"Wait, what happened first year?" asked Draco, suddenly much more interested in the conversation.

Sighing deeply, Harry gave a brief, but detailed, rehashing of the same stories he'd told Liz and me before. "I'm trusting that you'll keep this to yourself, Malfoy," he finished.

"I'm knee-deep in it, remember?" he shot back, unoffended. "But Gia's right, there's much more at stake now than in first year. If we're going to accuse anybody, we've got to be sure and we've got to have proof."

"We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open, then. At this point, everyone is a suspect," Liz concluded darkly.

"Harry," Hermione said, "You know what you've got to do now, right?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Survive?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, that too, but you've got to send a letter to Sirius. He'll want to know." Harry looked reluctant.

"You know Hermione's right, Harry. Sirius told you himself that he wanted you to keep him posted on everything that's happening here. We've been through this before, remember?" I said, waggling my fingers threateningly. "Besides, Christmas is coming rather quickly and we need to know if he's going to be around before then for –" I glanced at Draco, "Well, you know."

Harry sighed. "Fine, I'll write it now."

I summoned some parchment, a quill, and some ink and levitated it over to Harry, too lazy to get up. He stared at the parchment for a moment before writing something. As he wrote, my owl Ario appeared at the long window on the other side of the common room. Waving my hand, the window opened and he flew to me first, hooting contently as I stroked his feathers.

"How's my beautiful little friend doing?" I asked, cooing to him. "Are you watching out for Hedwig?"

Ario hooted a clear affirmative, and then flew over to Harry in time to take his letter. He bumped his head gently to Harry's cheek before taking off out the window again.

"I miss watching movies before bed," I said idly, after we'd been lounging around the common room for a few hours.

"You have muggle technology in your home?" asked Hermione curiously. "I thought it went haywire if surrounded by too much magic?"

"You'd have to get specially-made ward stones placed around your home to balance out the interference," I started, "It's a very delicate and tricky bit of magic, which is why it's nearly unheard of – it is ridiculously expensive. It doesn't work with everything though. We can get electrical lights working at only a few of our properties, but mostly it's just the TVs and gaming systems – no phones or anything yet. They're working on developing more sophisticated stones for the future, but this is what we've got for now."

"I didn't understand about half of anything you two just said," said Draco, looking around at us. "I assume I'm the only one here who's never been to the muggle world?"

"You would be correct in that assumption," said Liz, from where she'd been curled up in her favorite armchair. "Even though both of my parents are magical, they raised the twins and me to live between both worlds. How have you lived your entire life without watching a movie, Draco?"

"What _is_ a movie?" he asked again, a bit irritably.

"Aww, someone doesn't like feeling left out," I cooed teasingly, giggling madly as I neatly rolled out of the way of a stinging hex.

"It's a bit hard to explain if you don't have any context," Hermione started tentatively. "I'd have to use a bunch of muggle phrasing that you wouldn't understand to explain a concept that already foreign to you."

"I think we can better show him than tell him," I said, bolting upright as a wonderful idea popped into my head.

"Every time you get that look…" Harry said, shuddering slightly.

"Whatever it is, she's already excited about it, which means we're not likely to talk her out of it," Liz concluded, rolling her eyes. "Is this going to involve me getting out of this armchair?"

"I mean… if you'd rather stay here while we go see a movie…"

"You want to go into the _muggle_ world to see a movie? Like, tonight?" asked Hermione curiously. And though she was usually horrified at the thought of breaking school rules, I figured she missed her birthplace enough that she didn't mind it so much right then.

"Like, right now! Come on, it'll be fun. It's Sunday night and it's not like we're doing anything sitting around here anyway," I said, rolling my eyes. "Besides, we'll consider it Draco's crash course on all things muggle."

"I don't know, Gia…" said boy spoke up, uncertain.

"Oh, don't be a spoilsport Draco," I huffed, "It'll be the most fun you've had in a long time, I promise."

"I'm in," Harry said, standing up and stretching. "Anything to get out of this castle, even if it's just for a few hours."

"That makes two of us, any other takers?" I asked, looking around at my friends.

"Count me in," Hermione said, shrugging and standing as well. "I don't think I've been to the theater since the beginning of summer."

"Fine, fine, fine," groaned Liz, uncurling herself from the armchair, "But you're buying me popcorn, Grey, and I want it so buttery I feel my heart crying out for help."

"Come on Draco," said Hermione, "It'll be fun. I promise we'll protect you from the scary muggles."

I knew I wasn't the only one that was shocked at her casual use of his first name. Judging from the looks on Harry and Draco's faces, it was probably the first time she'd ever used it. Pink-faced, Draco sighed rather dramatically and rose from his seat.

"I have a feeling that my options are: agree to this asinine idea or get kidnapped and dragged along anyway," he said. "So what now?"

"Now," I clapped my hands happily, "Harry's going to loan you a more muggle-ish outfit, we're going to change into something more comfortable, and then we're going to head out. Grab your jackets, it's going to be a cold night and muggle theaters are always _freezing_."

About twenty minutes later, everyone gathered in the common room again, ready to go. After a little fussing, Draco had finally accepted the dark blue jeans, black t-shirt and hoodie, and black trainers from Harry. Harry and I had somehow ended up matching again, with black sweatpants, red hoodies over our black t-shirts, and bright red trainers. Hermione had donned a pair of light blue skinny jeans so tight, I couldn't even admonish Draco for the way he stared…because I was staring too.

"Where have you been hiding that bum, Hermione, Merlin!" I gasped playfully, circling the blushing girl and giving her my best roguish grin.

"Cut it out, you creep!" she snapped, but her smile gave her away. With the jeans, Hermione had finally relaxed a bit and paired it with a royal blue cropped-hoodie and trainers.

Finally, Elizabeth had emerged from her bedroom in all black as usual – black skinny jeans, black boots, and a black cropped-hoodie similar to Hermione's. She'd pulled her hair up into a top knot, and I smiled, noticing that she'd secured it with two ivory chopsticks.

"Do we look muggle enough for your liking, you loon?" asked Draco, resigned to his fate.

"You're all gorgeous, now let's go! Nova, are you tagging along?" I called, looking around for my familiar.

"You can't bring animals into a theater, Gia," said Hermione.

"Nova loves movies," I said, waving my hand dismissively. Moments later, Nova came bounding down the stairs from my bedroom and leapt into my arms, transforming from a small kitten into a hamster of sorts, mid-leap. "Before you ask, yes she's a changeling, which means she can transform herself into any animal. Yes, I know how rare and powerful they are. No, I have no idea where she came from – she found me and decided she wanted to be stuck with me forever, so here we are. Any questions?" I said quickly, my body buzzing with anticipation for the night ahead.

"I guess that covers it, thanks for trusting us with that," Harry said, throwing an arm casually around my shoulders.

"Alright, gather around you lot. Just grab hold of my arm and don't let go," I instructed clearly, holding out my right arm. When I was sure they'd all gotten hold, I quickly began gathering wispy, black shadows around us all.

Just before we disappeared, Draco shuddered, "I'll never get used to this."

I wanted Draco to get the full experience, so I had shadow-stepped us into the dark alleyway between the Leaky Cauldron and some nondescript building beside it. "You're telling me you've never been on this side of the Cauldron?" I asked Draco, when he didn't respond, I turned my head to see why.

He was dumbstruck.

Slowly stepping out of the alley, Draco's head turned in every direction, and he took in the tall buildings, the neon lights and streetlamps, the screens flashing and promoting in every store window, and of course, the cars that zoomed down the road going in both directions.

"Muggles…" he started slowly, tearing his eyes away from the road to look at us, "_Muggles_ did all of this? Without magic?"

"You haven't seen anything yet!" said Hermione, positively bubbly now.

Following my lead, we stepped up to the curb and I hailed us a taxi large enough to accommodate all of us. Draco was apprehensive about getting into the car, but after being threatened with the same hex he'd read aloud from Hermione's book earlier, he reluctantly got inside. His reluctance lasted all of two minutes, before he was smiling like an idiot, watching the muggle world go by outside through the window.

"Where to?" the raspy voice of the driver called, never taking his eyes off the road.

"Nearest theater, please," I responded, before leaning back and allowing myself to relax, reveling in the noise and bustle of a weekend night in the muggle world.

We arrived less than ten minutes later and I pulled out enough money from my wallet to pay for the ride, and left the driver a tip, probably one much larger than he expected judging from his expression. We had to physically haul Draco through the lobby because he kept stopping to look and exclaim at perfectly ordinary things, particularly the giant arcade games in the corner off to the right.

"How can I help you?" asked the young man behind the glass; he couldn't have been older than nineteen.

"Five tickets for…" I quickly scanned the titles on the board above his head, "The Lion King."

"Really, Gia? A kids' movie?" asked Hermione, raising an eyebrow.

"I really wanted to see it over the summer, but of course, the Dursleys wouldn't let me tag along with them," said Harry suddenly.

"The Lion King, it is," Liz said from my left.

Once we'd gotten our tickets and had them torn by the ticket attendant, I led the way over to the concessions counter. Without consulting my friends, I ordered two large popcorns – "Extra, _extra_ butter, please" – as well as five large sodas, and a whole mess of candy boxes but Harry firmly insisted on paying for it all since I had bought the tickets. Leading the way through the lobby and into the hall, we quickly found the proper theater, Number 7, and I insisted that the best seats were in the back. Grinning to myself, I forced Harry into the aisle first and then grabbed Liz's hand, forcing her to come behind me so that I was sitting between them, leaving Hermione and Draco to sit beside each other. Being the gentlemen that he was, Draco allowed Hermione in first and he ended the aisle himself.

"We'll share this one," I said, holding on to one popcorn bucket, "And you two can share this one." I shoved the other bucket in Hermione's hand and ignored her suspicious, narrowed eyes. "We've got enough candy to last all night, grab whatever you want."

Draco kept looking all around the theater, but the moment the lights dimmed and the previews began, I could tell that he was utterly and completely floored. As we settled in, Harry casually put his arm around the back of my seat and I leaned into his body, immediately relaxed by the warmth he radiated. The music began the movie and before we were even ten minutes in, I heard Hermione keep shushing Draco's incessant questions and begging him to just watch for now, and she'd answer his inquiries afterward. To my surprise, we'd all decimated the enormous popcorn buckets before the movie was halfway over and I volunteered to run out into the lobby to get two more.

"And – and they just let him fall right off the bloody cliff!" Draco moaned, still rambling about the movie as we spilled out into the light of the lobby after it was over. "How is this a kids' movie? I feel like – like I just faced a Dementor or something. That was brutal."

"Relax Draco," said Liz, giggling furiously at Draco's indignation over the fate of Mufasa, "The movie had a happy ending."

"I can't believe I've missed out my entire life," Draco said, suddenly quieter and very thoughtful. "If my father ever found out I visited the muggle world, he'd pitch a fit to end all fits."

"Draco…" I started worriedly.

"When can we do this again?" he asked suddenly, his melancholy gone as quickly as it had come.

"I say we make this a weekly thing," Harry suggested, his arm still around my shoulder as we left the theater and spilled back out into the cool night. "What do you say? Let's make every Sunday night a movie night."

We all agreed.

The taxi ride from the theater back to the Leaky Cauldron was an unfortunately short one, and I knew I wasn't the only one that almost dreaded returning to Hogwarts after such a fun night. But soon enough, I was gathering shadows around us again and we reappeared in the common room, exactly where we'd left. I'd had Prim head to the kitchens to gather up a late dinner for us as we all retired to our rooms briefly to change into pajamas. As a surprise treat, I'd had Prim bring up an enormous vat of Neapolitan ice cream for dessert. The entire conversation throughout dinner consisted of Draco drilling us with questions about the muggle world and us taking turns to answer. By the time we'd all gotten up to retire to bed, I knew that we'd made a major leap in reversing the mental damage done by Lucius Malfoy.

It was after midnight, I was lying in bed, the fire burning low in the fireplace, and Nova had abandoned me to seek out Liz once again. The day's events kept replaying over and over in my mind, particularly our impromptu trip into the muggle world and the positive effect it'd had on Draco. I was still smiling, rather pleased with myself, when I heard a tentative knock on my bedroom door. I had an idea as to who it might be, and sure enough, as the door swung open, there was Harry. And just as I had the night before, without a word, I held open the comforter and waited for him to climb in beside me.

"I'm sorry I've been such a bother," Harry whispered after we'd been lying in bed for about ten minutes. "I haven't had any nightmares in weeks, not until my name came out of the Goblet."

Turning on my side to face him, I reached up and caressed his cheek. "You're never a bother, Harry," I said firmly, "And if being in here with me means you can get a good night's sleep, then I'm happy to have the company."

"You really are amazing, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know," I said smugly, closing my eyes as he gently kissed my forehead. "Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight, Gia."


End file.
